It has to be hard – It cannot be easy

It has to be hard – It cannot be easy   It always amazes me how teenagers from foreign countries can go to a totally different culture, live with total strangers, go to school and learn in a different language and do so well! It has to be hard, but I have to tell you the young man we are … Read More

Our Life Through Fresh Eyes

Our Life Through Fresh Eyes   Our family decided in Spring 2015 to host an exchange student for the 2015-2016 school year. When we started telling friends and family, we kept getting asked things like, “Aren’t you worried about the effect on your family of having someone else living with you that you don’t know?” And, “Don’t you think you’ll … Read More

They come to you as a stranger…

They come to you as a stranger, but leave as a loved one. Each of us learning from the other. We take note of all the qualities. We note that all are positive. We wonder if she is happy. We hear her singing in the bathroom. She calls us Mom and Dad. Far from being a stranger, she is now … Read More

ICES Outbound Student returns from Ecuador

ICES Outbound Student returns from Ecuador ICES Outbound Alumni Sean from Cassville, Wisconsin recently returned from his semester abroad in Ecuador. Sean is a senior in High School and decided to spend the first semester of his senior year as an exchange student. Sean originally expressed interest in a semester in Brazil but ultimately decided that Ecuador was the best … Read More

Bozeman Foreign Exchange Student’s Experience

Bozeman Foreign Exchange Student’s Experience abc FOX Montana Montana Right Now Montana, February 23, 2015   BOZEMAN – A group of 50 high school students in the International Cultural Exchange Services are a little over half way done with their 10-month-long stay in Montana. Lisa Mensing is one of the high school exchange students who arrived in August. To learn … Read More

“The best experience of my life”

“The best experience of my life” “This program that I participated in was honestly the best experience of my life. The experience itself was amazing and I got the opportunity to make great friends for life and see a whole different country and experience another culture at a young age.” Sarah 🇦🇺 Exchange student from Australia Studied in Portland, Oregon

These experiences will always be with you…

These experiences will always be with you… “The ICES Study Abroad program is an excellent way to get out into the world, see new things, and meet new people. These experiences will always be with you and you will meet people who will forever be part of your life.” Katie 🇺🇸 ICES exchange student from the United States Studied in … Read More

A sister for Nyasia

A sister for Nyasia   Getting to the point of hosting my first exchange student is truly a funny story. I applied with ICES in early January 2013 and the application sat in a draft state until the very next year. Within a week of submitting my application the district leader reached out to me as she noticed that I … Read More