SHARE! High School Exchange Program

I was an exchange student with a Share host family and it was a great experience. I made a lot of memories and still consider them family.

We hosted our foreign exchange student in 2016/2017. It was the best thing we ever did. We are still in contact with her. We often think about hosting again.

We love SHARE! Our family has hosted 12 students thus far. Our family has definitely grown from a family of 6 to a much larger family that includes not just the students, but their families as well. This experience has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. SHARE provides great resources and a partner in the process of hosting. We have gained lifelong bonds and memories -- this is not just a 9 month experience, but one that lasts a lifetime to watch the students grow into great young men and women.

We have hosted 5 students, and each semester has been a great experience with SHARE. Such a great organization to host through, would recommend everytime.

This is my second time hosting through "Share!". They are a great organization to work with.

I am a new EPC to Share! Getting onboarded with Share! was so easy. The application process was a breeze, and working with Yvette Coffman was amazing. She was so helpful and responsive and answered questions without judgement. So far, my experience as an EPC has been wonderful. I am looking forward to a great year.

We hosted a student for a semester and loved having him with us. He brought a lot of fun to our home. The organization supported us throughout the whole process, from the application to after the student left. They made everything easy and clear, and were always available to help with any questions. The coordinator met with us several times and shared helpful advice from her own experience. Overall, this was one of the best experiences we’ve had. I highly recommend them!

I was an exchange student with SHARE for five months and had a great time in the U.S. My coordinator, Mary, was really supportive and helped me and my host family a lot, even though she lived almost 70 miles away. In addition, my host family was a perfect match for me.

SHARE and my coordinator Mary have been very helpful and committed to making the hosting process as smooth as possible.

I'm going to start off by saying that my review pertains more to the student than the organization itself, although I wish I was more aware of our options to send our student home or move her to another family early on/when problems started occurring. I am also someone who didn't think having a bad experience would be possible at all.

To give some background, my husband and I are on the younger side and have young children. We actually had our third baby while our student was with us. After reviewing applications, we carefully chose a female student to host (since we have all girls) and were very excited. Shortly after, we found out she was taking another opportunity and ended up with a different student who, on paper, seemed like the perfect fit.

I should have listened to my intuition when I felt like the initial phone meeting with this new student didn't go as well as I hoped. She was very persistent about meeting on her terms and her family was not involved in the process at all. As a mom, I would at the very least want to say hello to the family hosting my child for a year in a different country. Anyway, she arrived and the first month was okay. She seemed excited, outgoing, wanting to get involved, make friends and have experiences. Once she got comfortable, which happened quickly, red flags started popping out. She had a big attitude problem, was nasty to the family dogs, nasty to my children (under 3 years old), and nasty to me. All the behaviors that were occurring were also happening only in front of me and sometimes my own mom and she was an angel in front of others, including my husband. As the time went on, especially after I had my third, she got bolder, constantly criticizing me and how I do things, dropped out of activities, never really made friends and would cling to my husband. I reviewed her application again and everything that was written on it, she was the total opposite. Not appreciative (she complained about everything including our trip to Disney and I could never do enough for her), not flexible unless it was on her terms, not involved with outside activities, manipulative to get her way and so on. One day, I completely lost my cool when she gave my husband and I the biggest attitude for working late and was manhandling my children in front of me to put them in the car to head home from my parents house. The following week I happened to have a phone meeting with the coordinator, let her know what was going on, and scheduled an intervention. Unfortunately it was on the later side so her going home or being moved wasn't an option, but we did our best to address the issues (I didn't hold back) to get through the rest of the months. I will say our coordinator was amazing with listening to my concerns and jumping in when needed, including when she had to pick her up because the morning my husband and I were scheduled to go on an overnight trip alone, she was all of a sudden sick and unable to stay at her friends house.

It took me a long time to want to share this, and there was even a lot I left out. But I think it's important for host families to know that they could end up with a wild card, that there is something they can do about it, and not to be afraid to speak up/speaking up is not failing. People who knew about our experience ask me all the time if I would host again and they are surprised when I do say yes. It will probably be when my own children are older, but I won't allow one negative experience dictate how the others would be. And like I said, it was a very positive experience with the organization itself, just not with the student.

Last November my daughter came home asking about moving her friend who was an exchange student in with us. She was being moved due to conflicts at previous placement. This is where our journey with SHARE started. From day one, Kari our coordinator, has been amazing. Everything was done quickly and efficiently. We had our student as soon as possible. Since getting our student, our coordinator has meet us for ice cream, sent our student Christmas and Birthday gifts, and made herself available when we have had any questions. This has been an amazing experience!

We have hosted 7 students thru Share! High School Exchange Program over the last 8 years. I absolutely love this company and my students. I am still in contact with my exchange kids to this day. If you have the love for kids and want to make a difference. You will not regret becoming a host family. Marlo (our coordinator) has made this process so easy. I strongly recommend SHARE if you are interested in hosting an exchange student

Hello.
I am an exchange student from Germany. Mary is my coordinator. I am so happy that I got her. Whenever I have a question, need help or just want to talk with her, she is there for me and always finds a way to help me.
I had a really hard time in the beginning of my exchange year and I texted her. We endet up drinking coffee together and talked for more than one hour. She helped me a lot and I am so greadfull to have her.

I've been an exchange student the last semester and can only mention good things about my organization. My coordinator is really great and caring and also was the one matched my host family and me. This was the perfect placement for me and from the other exchange student (also from my coordinator) I know that she is as happy as I am. I had a enjoyable time here and I was never concerned about sharing any concerns.

My exchange year was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.
At the beginning I had a really hard time but because of my local coordinator I felt very well taken care of. She was always there for me and gave me good advice. I changed my host family once and it was no problem for them to find a new family for me.
I am very grateful for my second host family and truly found my second family across the ocean.
I did really good experience with the agency Share and would recommend it.

Share has helped us host 16 exchange students. They provide everything needed to connect the right student to the right home. Adriana, in particular, is a wonderful coordinator. She connects with the host family, the exchange students and even connects the exchange students with each other. In the rare instance when we needed her help with a situation involving our exchange student, she was empathetic and an effective mediator. If you are considering hosting an exchange student, this is the group to use!

Our family has hosted 3 exchange students in the past 2 years and we have already signed up to host again next year. We have absolutely loved hosting students from around the world and look forward to hosting many more students. Our local SHARE coordinators have been very helpful when we needed them, have set up fun activities that include the entire family, and remind us how appreciated we are often. Our students know that SHARE has high expectations for them and they strive to meet those expectations. I would highly recommend hosting an exchange student through SHARE!

This organization cares about their students.
They also offer a lot of different trips to visit places and meet new people.
The local coordinators are always able for their students.

We’ve had a great experience three times hosting exchange students with SHARE! They communicate well with us and our students. Their student selection process seems to be very good because of the students we’ve had and students we know other people of had from them. Our coordinator, Tracy, is especially good at what she does. She loves exchange students and works well with the families that are hosting. She is always available to ask questions. All three of our students have been amazing! They are respectful, kind and open to doing everything to have the best experience they can while they are in America.

I have hosted and been working with exchange students and families for 15 years. I changed from another company 5 years ago to come be with erdt/SHARE - I am Very Happy with SHARE! I have seen and heard many stories some great some not so great. It is not always the companies fault. But they get the blame. This CAN be one of your most wonderful experiences if you truly want to open your heart and home. I have students that have come back and married into their families, I have families that have traveled abroad to be part of weddings and births. It is what you want to help make happen.

My exchange year has been one of the best in my life so far. I‘m beyond grateful for my wonderful hostfamily who made me feel loved and welcomed from day one.
My local coordinator was also very sweet and i felt really good taken care of. I‘d recommend doing an exchangeyear with Share to anyone interested because those experiences are for a lifetime.
I have no complaints and would do it again :)

PLEASE beware of this agency ....the positive reviews are done by coordinators who get paid by this program and do VERY little for the host families they are supposed to support. They are very deceptive and have been caught telling multiple "untruths" the experience is the worst I have ever encountered....if you are a wonderful person who wants to open your home to an exchange student, please research alternate agencies so that you may have a mutually rewarding experience...this agency WILL not make that happen!

I have hosted 15 students through Share and it has been a wonderful experience. (All from Germany and one from Slovakia.) It all started with an email to my church, asking for potential host parents. When I could not find anyone to serve, I decided to do so and it has been a life changing experience for me.

I remain in contact with all of my prior students, many have returned to visit me, and I have been traveling to Europe every second year to again connect with as many of them and their families as I can. Because of this program, Germany has really become a second home for me.

The staff of Share has always been wonderfully supportive and accomodating. I have been blessed to have great matches with few issues, but when something did come up, I always new my local co-ordinator and the district co-ordinator were able and willing to respond quickly and appropriately.

My family. has been lucky enough to host 10 students thus far. Each experience has helped to shape us all into more understanding, empathetic people.I am grateful for the rewarding, lifelong relationships we have formed through hosting. I have also seen first hand the positive effects our students have had on our community and school. I have always felt supported and encouraged by the organization and it's employees. Our questions and concerns have always been addressed in a very timely manor. SHARE! has not only made hosting possible, but fun and easy. In a world lacking in both, SHARE! helps promote tolerance and cultural understanding, showing us all it really is a small world afterall!

We hosted an exchange student through SHARE! and found it to be a wonderful experience for our family! We became hosts under unique circumstances. We were a second family to a student who had experienced a difficult transition in her first home and needed a new placement. We received incredible support during our student's transition to our house. Lots of helpful communication (for our student and for us as parents!) from our local coordinator, and excellent opportunities set up by our local coordinator for connecting with other exchange students and host families in the area.
Our student was well prepared when she came to us through her relationship with the local coordinator and information she'd received from SHARE. She was prepared for success and had a very clear understanding of the rules and guidelines expected of her during her exchange year. The support of our local coordinator and the has made the difference for us in hosting and I'd recommend SHARE to anyone who mentions interest in hosting an exchange student!

I am still doing my exchange year and its fun. Thanks the non profit organisation I can enjoy my exchange even more. I can feel comfortable because I know, that the people who are hosting me do it to get to know me and my culture. That’s a good feeling. Its a wonderful time for everybody and the money can’t ruin it. Families aren’t hosting students to earn money and that’s good!

I am so happy that SHARE is part of my exchange experience! The organization gives me as an exchange student the necessary support I need and they are always happy to help with any questions or doubts I have.
Especially my local coordinator is is awesome and an important part of my exchange year!

Beware of the positive Host reviews. They are done by the actual coordinators who are not very engaged with the daily necessities of the families and students. They grossly misrepresent the key elements of a host role and There has been a constant barrage of "I forgot to tell you" which occurred after my student arrived which has created a horrible experience. The student is a great kid but both of us are suffering due to this agencies actions. When I see the reviews actually created by the coordinators who are causing the problems, I feel the need to speak out. Please evaluate all options when hosting and if you go with this agency, make sure all details are ironed out I have had nothing but financial burdens and issues regarding the needs

I’m an exchange student from Germany living in Lancaster, PA. And if I could I would give 5 more stars :). Not only because my biggest dream of travelling to the US came true (thanks to this organisation), but also because my time here has already exceeded any expectations I had before. I knew that being an exchange student would show me a whole new world of wonderful things but it actually gave me a second life as well. With so many amazing and interesting people that I am so happy I had the chance to meet them. It would be an understatement to say that I’m only comfortable here - I feel like home. And at that point I‘d like to give a big shout out to my Host Mother Brenda Hornberger and my Coordination Shannon Portales (who are both working with SHARE!) for making this experience not only possible but exceptionally special, thoughtful and breathtaking. I know how much effort it can be to be a host parent, to place all the exchange students and all the things that goes with that. The more I appreciate their work and am grateful for what I got to experience and for being an exchange student placed by SHARE!

My coordinator is wonderful! I’m having the best experience thanks to SHARE!

My friend has hosted students for several years. I’ve said that I will someday; when I have more space, when the kids are older, etc. Someday happened this year when a student needed to be placed in another home. I’m a single mom, and when I heard his story I immediately talked to my kids and we opened our home up. This student has become part of our family and I don’t know what we did before he arrived. He has especially connected with my 11yr old son and I know when the school year is over the goodbyes will be hard. My Share! coordinator had continuously been by my side through the process; checking in, answering questions, even taking my student to her home for a much needed weekend away. Share! even helped us navigate through some high school course selection changes and extracurriculars. At no time have I felt alone being a host parent. I think what I appreciate most is how Share! sets up a monthly adventure for students and their families; it allows us to explore our area and connect with others on this same journey. This has been an amazing experience and I will be doing it again in the future.

SHARE! is a great non profit organization that helps foreign exchange students from all over the world to find the right host family. Wherever you get placed you get a very nice local coordinator that is always there for you if you have any problems or concerns that are happy to help you.
Additionally they offer almost every month a very exciting trip with them and other exchange students to visit cities like New York, Washington D.C, etc. I love those trip very much and am excited for every single kne of them

My name is Marine, I’m a 21yo girl from France. I stayed with Leigh and James Morgan for 10 months as an exchange student in 2017-2018 and it was the best year of my life ! They made me discover the Texan life to the fullest and they treated me like their own daughter. Today I’m back in Texas for an internship and I stay with them again. I couldn’t be more grateful.

Luna, our German Exchange student, arrived In August and it has been a wonderful experience, so far. Originally, she was to only stay for the semester but decided to extend her stay for the entire school year. We were thrilled! Luna’s English is amazing and she has had all A’s. She has attended every family event, tried every food, even though she is a VERY picky eater, participated in Volleyball, One Act Play, and Tennis. She has embraced small town life, in Central Nebraska, way better than we expected. We have had great communication with STRIVE and her family.The only difficult thing is knowing we have to say goodbye. We will definitely host another student!

This is my 29th year serving as a Coordinator for foreign exchange. It makes my heart so happy to see these shy students arrive, become a part of the host family, be part of music, drama, arts and sports and excel and make many many memories . My wish is that every one could experience hosting a exchange student

This is our second time hosting an exchange student through share and it has been a great experience. Both times we had excellent communication with Lyn the person in charge of the program here in our district and she made it very easy for us and for the student that lived with us for the school year. The whole process has been pretty simple in it and easy to understand and having someone that comes from another country live with us has really and truly enriched our lives. We highly recommend the program to all of our friends and we look forward to traveling to visit our students in their home countries

We have been so happy with SHARE! Southeast Texas ! Our coordinator Marlo Hunt has been Amazing and very accommodating. We hosted a student last year short term for 3 months and had our first full time student this year. Absolutely love this program. My whole family enjoyed the experience so much. Our family highly recommends SHARE! as an easy way to become a host family & share the world with others!

Marlo is the best coordinator ever, she is always there when I need her, always answers my text and calls and is a great role model for the teens who are coming to the USA. She provides a fun and loving environment for not just out students but also us as parents.

A nightmare!

My story with this sponsor program, ERDT, and the regional director from Tx, it is a nightmare.
The local coordinateur and the RD Texas, forced my daughter, who was an exchange student from France to leave her host family in 3 hours, without announcing someone (CEI France, french organisation, mine or the host family) and they did that by using the police force (they called the police and threated my daughter that if she refesud she will be put her in jail).
After all thesse, they refussed to discuss with me because it is forbitte, after them, to contact them!
Also, is you go on the CSFES.org you can see that they already have a justice problem with one of their exchange students for sexual agression (the trial just started in 2021).
My daughter never received an ID Cart from this organisation (obligatory); the LC told us that my daughter was sent home because she was speacking to much with me on the phone (it is against the legislation to ban/prohibit that).
In her hostfamily was ussed like an aupair, no mather that she was an exchange student and they were ok with that.

We have been so happy with SHARE! Southwest! We hosted a student several years ago, & all of us enjoyed the experience so much! We recently found out that we have a new coordinator in our area, & because we have hosted before, we were confirmed very quickly to host again! We are looking forward to meeting Sarah in a couple months! Our family highly recommends SHARE! as an easy way to become a host family & share the world with others!

We only had our German exchange student Amelie for 5 months, but with the help of our coordinator Cindy, we were well prepared for this new phase in all of our lives! Covid tried its best to make life difficult but the experience turned out to be the best of our lives! Amelie may be back in Germany now, but she will ALWAYS be part of our family!

We have hosted 14 girls over the past 11 years with Share and love this organization. My coordinator is wonderful to work with and always has what is best for the student in mind. This is by far the most favorite part of my life, and I wouldn't work with any other organization!

We are sooo excited to host our student from Germany this upcoming school year. Thanks to SHARE! Southwest, my family can learn about another culture, & our rural high school will be able to experience a student with stories from across the world. Our exchange coordinator helped us through the process of applying, & soon we will communicate with our student! Thanks, SHARE!

We are excited to welcome a student to our home in August! The whole process of choosing a student & completing an application was so simple & fast! SHARE! Southwest is a great way to connect with cultures around the world & learn about the different ways of other countries.

My wife and I started hosting high school foreign exchange students since 2006. At the time, we had two children in school in the 7th & 10th grades. Fifteen years and 19 exchange students later, Marlo and I still look forward to when “our kids” arrive. We have great memories with the students over the years. Some have returned home to visit and we have had the opportunity to visit our exchange students in their home countries. Marlo and I learned that our families now extend well beyond the United States.
“Share” support has been with us throughout this journey. I can not imagine “Share” not being around anytime and for any question we have. We would not consider hosting exchange students sponsored by another organization. Five stars for Share.

Share is an organization that benefits the student and the sponsor. Kids from all over the world are connected with a host family for several months that exposes both student and sponsor to other cultures. These unions create families for life. It’s a great project to be part of.

My husband and I have been hosting foreign exchange students for the past 19 years. We have had some wonderful experiences and have enjoyed making new friends with the students and other local host families. I recommend SHARE! highly.

Years ago I was an exchange student and know, first hand, how important it is to have the support from the organization that you were part of. SHARE! high school exchange program is one of those programs you can trust to be there for the student.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside greatly benefited from the SHARE! High School Exchange Program! Each year we would host international students who volunteered their time to help out our staff and members. It was a pleasure to be apart of their program!

Long ago I was an exchange student before overseeing agencies like Great Nonprofits were around and I was a victim of a disorganized, unprofessional sending organization that I later learned had a questionable track record. Luckily I got through the experience and back home safely. More recently in my dealings with SHARE!, I know them to have a solid reputation and everyone I've talked to are responsive, knowledgeable and caring people. If I could do exchange again, it would definitely be with SHARE

I volunteered with this program during their 2019 orientation, where coordinators took incoming exchange students from Germany on a 2-day tour through New York. Not only was the orientation organized and fun, every employee from SHARE! was kind, competent, and extremely knowledgeable about their organization's mission and impact on foreign high schoolers. I had such a great time, and I know the students did too!

We have had 16 students over the last 11 years and really enjoy the program. We have always had an amazing Local Coordinator - Danielle Norden and Mari Karlsson out in Missouri is equally fantastic! We stay in contact with so many of our previous students and have been to Europe to visit them a few times. Every year, we have students visiting us. The truly are family. Sure, some of our kids have had some issues, but the program handled it professionally and promptly. I would highly recommend anyone to host a kid for the year because that 1 year will turn into a lifelong relationship.

The organisation ERDT SHARE, including my local and regional coordinator, didn’t have any interest in helping and supporting me in very stressful times. I am beyond disappointed. Being an exchange student is hard enough but feeling helpless and alone is even worse. They literally told me that they didn’t want me to call them asking for help. That’s their job. They were supposed to help me out.

I have been working with SHARE as an admin assistant and coordinator for 13 years, and I am having an amazing time. I quickly learned how much SHARE cares about their host families, students, and staff. Our training places an emphasis on the safety of our students, and a successful year for student and family. I have met more than 100 teens from all over the world and enjoyed learning about their cultures. Your family will experience one of the most memorable years of their life by teaming up with SHARE and hosting an international exchange student. This is for sure the a great organization and the coordinators are great as well!

AVOID THIS PROGRAM!! Please note that most of the five star reviews are written by employees. I will tell you my story. We were very excited for an exchange student and thought we chose carefully. When we started to get to know her we realized that she had lied on her application in many different ways. We thought we were getting a good student who liked to ski and be involved in extracurricular activities. In fact she didn't ski and had flunked out of her last semester and wasn't interested in after school activities. We also realized that she didn't want to integrate into our family - she wanted an Air BnB experience. So we let her do her thing. However, we then realized that she was engaging in risky behaviors that went against the rules of the program. She was 15 and in our care and we needed to keep her safe. She was self-piercing (she arrived with ten piercings (which weren't on her photo)), she was ordered an inappropriate vibrator, she bought a very inappropriate book, she was lying to us about her whereabouts, she was communicating with strangers on her instagram account where she was saying she was 18 and in some instances discussing inappropriate topics, she was receiving inappropriate images (somewhat disturbing images) from her boyfriend on her computer. Our direct and regional liaison were helpful but there was only so much they could do. The wanted to put her on probation which I wasn't interested in . I thought I could deal with it myself. I discussed with my pediatrician and a high school counselor what I should do and they both suggested I have a frank conversation with her. I had the conversation with her. We talked about all of the above. I was very positive and supportive with no shaming or blaming. In the end all I requested was that she stop using 25 GB of data each month, I asked for her computer password (as suggested by the program). and I asked to be allowed to know what was in the packages she was ordering into the house (she was getting several packages a day). I thought the discussion went well and was looking forward to the rest of the year. She went to her friends house and texted to me that she wanted a new family unless I compromised on my rules. Over several days we tried to work things out with the help of our liaison but the end result was that she wanted to move to another home. We supported her decision. She also got put on probation. The CRAZY thing is that the program wouldn't move her to another school. So she told the school counselor that she needed a new family - luckily the school counselor knows us well enough to not think the worst of the situation, She bad-mouthed my daughter at school and she told people that we kicked her out. She found another family at our high school of only 400 kids - 100 in each grade. The program didn't tell that family anything about her behaviors in our home. They have at least one if not two younger kids and don't know anything. They also don't know what she is up to on instagram so they can try to help keep her safe. She is in my daughters school and grade and it is very uncomfortable for my daughter to go to school. She has stopped bad mouthing my daughter as far as we know, thankfully but it is still awkward as you can imagine. She currently has two F’s and is still at the school even though she is on probation. I would think they could put her in a different school but in talking with the director they try not to do that even though people complain about this all the time. I also feel like they should let the new family know what behaviors she was engaging in that got her put on probation so they can be aware and so they can help keep her safe. We are so disappointed that our experience ended in this way.

My experience working with the Georgia chapter was horrible. The organization did not provide any support in the beginning of the process for enrolling the student in school. During the program, I was yelled at by the Share person for having contact with the child's parents. I wanted to ask the parents if they were OK with the child taking Uber by herself because she wanted to. End of the program was worse. The student and our family were not a good fit, and the organization moved the student to a different home. Which is perfectly fine, as I whole heartedly wanted what was best for the student; but the way Share handled this was HORRIBLE and unprofessional. I was not told of any plans to move the student. All I got was a phone call at work from the Share worker sitting in my driveway with the student and her luggage informing me that the child was moving. Instead of being thankful for my help, I was made to feel like a criminal. It was very sad and upsetting.

Helene is our second exchange student which has expanded our family to six. These responsible young adults teach us so much about being better people, parents, and Americans. My children have learned so much about other cultures and how to be a responsible teen themselves. Plus it’s just fun! Anytime we take our students to a new place we experience it again through their eyes. Who knew the the grocery store could be so much fun. I can’t say enough great things about the Share program and how it has changed our lives.

This is our second year to work with share! We absolutely love everything about this program! Our coordinator Marlo works so hard to find a great match for my family. We have had 2 wonderful exchange years and looking forward to working with her in the years to come.

We hosted an exchange student from South Korea. Jiwon enriched our family from the minute we met her it was like she belonged with us. It was an amazing experience and we are so thankful to share and our culture and learn about hers. We truly enjoyed the year and couldn't of asked for better experience Jiwon will always be part of our family. We are truly grateful for the experience. Whenever we had any questions our coordinator was always there for us. We looked into a few different organizations and went with Share and the were the best.

Share has been absolutely amazing to work with! Our coordinator Cindy was very helpful and caring! This program has been life changing for myself and my entire family! We are truly grateful and blessed to be part of the SHARE family.

As a host family (who has hosted 5 students) and a coordinator, I know that SHARE is the best high school exchange program, by far. They not only partner up with only the top rated programs overseas , but they do the BEST job at preparing the students for their year here. Every coordinator we have had for our students has been attentive, knowledgeable, and a great support system for the student and the host family. We are so happy to have hosted through SHARE and for the relationships we have forged with our students and their families.

SHARE is the best exchange student organization! Both hosting and working as a local rep has opened my world and my heart. We remember our years by which student we were hosting. Lifetime friendships have been built. I love SHARE!

Share is a wonderful organization to work with! The students that come are amazing and the people I have gotten to know through the organization are incredible!

Love SHARE!!! I have served as a host family for THREE YEARS and as an Exchange Program Coordinator for Louisiana. SHARE! is an excellent organization that is reputable and truly cares about the students it places in the US. The experiences shared by these students and families is for a lifetime. Thinking of hosting an exchange student? Contact SHARE! today!

Jennie Bourgeois
Exchange Program Coordinator & Host Mom
jen@jenniebourgeois.com

I am a host family volunteer and a coordinator. I have hosted three German students. The last student did not work out, but her coordinator worked diligently to move her quickly and listened to both the student and us. She tried to smooth hurt feelings so that we could maintain a friendship. We have already picked a student for next year , and are confident that we will have another lifelong friend/family member.

Love this organization! The people are the best. So helpful and organized!

This is an amazing opportunity for your family!!! I have hosted 15 kids and have learned so much. We also now have family all over the world!

I cannot recommend ERDT/ Share to anyone interested in hosting an exchange student. This is especially true for the fathers and brothers of the host families, as they are not safe. This has nothing to do with the quality of students, but rather the incompetence of and poor management of issues when they arise with students - and issues will occur. Recently, a random store clerk called the police saying she feared our exchange student was in danger from the host father. No evidence, no actions, just a feeling from a high school student. The police dismissed it, and felt the complaint was unwarranted. Demonstrating due diligence, they passed on the complaint to the student's high school. The high school, knowing the host family who has hosted students 3 times, also dismissed the complaint as unwarranted, but showing due diligence passed on the complaint to ERDT/ Share. ERDT/ Share yanked the student out of the home, and placed the student in another state. They removed the child without speaking to the student, who was devastated by their actions - ruining a very good exchange experience. They did this without notifying the host family or even discussing the complaint which was based on a high school students "feelings." They removed the child against the child's parent's wishes, and against the wishes of the host country exchange program's wishes. They declared the student a victim and a liar without speaking to her, and they essentially declared the host father an abuser to the school by removing the student. Many lives were disrupted and injured by their unwillingness to speak to the student concerning actions that damaged her whole one semester exchange experience. They placed her with a 70 year old couple who treat her as a job responsibility and will not allow her to participate in school activities she would like to experience. Fortunately she will return home soon. My advice is if you want to protect the integrity of your the men in your family, do not risk hosting anyone through ERDT/ Share, but especially a female student. This could happen to any family if a jealous, or a vindictive student decides to call the police and say they "feel the student may be in danger." The sad, and pathetic truth in all of this - they declared the student a victim who needs to be removed, but never even attempted to LISTEN to the student they're calling a victim. Rather, they elevated the "FEELINGS" of a random store clerk who did not know the student, did not attend her school, and did not know the host family because she FELT uncomfortable. If you have a husband or sons, DO NOT RISK their name and integrity by participating in this organizations exchange program. ERDT Share will not protect the student, or the student's host family. They are only concerned about their insurance liabilty which tells me they have a lot of pending lawsuits for their inability to manage their organization.

SHARE! is a wonderful foreign exchange student placement program! We have loved hosting Clara from Spain this past year! She has shared with us some of her rich culture along with gaining a love of the American culture. We have truly shared our heart and home with her and hope to with future students in the years to come! I also love being a coordinator for this program! It's so fun getting to know so many different people from vast cultures and backgrounds! If you're interested in either hosting a student or working as a coordinator let me know!

My family hosted an exchange student in 2013-2014. We loved the experience so much, and really felt as our student was part of our family. I wanted to do more with the program, so I became a coordinator, and now I am able to meet several students, from many countries each year while placing them in host families in my home state. I love to be able to connect with them and form a friendship. I keep in touch with all of the students I place, and the student who we hosted comes "home" to visit every few years.

My name is Dicy Brown. I am currently hosting a student from Germany. My husband and I have had great success with Share! Our coordinator Cindy Parker has been amazing to work with. My family and I will definitely host again!!!

We are currently hosting a German foreign exchange student. It has been so much fun to learn about another culture. Our student fits in perfectly with our family; it is like having another daughter! Having her here has led us to visit many of the tourist locations that we never seem to have time to visit. It has been a wonderful experience! We love our coordinator who checks in regularly to make sure everything is going well.

Love this group! Coordinators, students, and host families communicate the entire program. Students are a ton of fun!

Having an exchange student the past 3 semesters has been a great experience!!

My wife and I have hosted the last two years. Our first year was a girl from Germany, and this year we have boys from Japan and China. These students have changed our lives! They have broadened our views and opened our eyes to the world beyond our borders. Plus, we have been able to see our own country through fresh eyes and shared in their joy of discovery...seeing things we may have gotten used to, and maybe not appreciated like we should.

I've hosted many times for Share! and they never disappoint. The coordinator is there for my every need and their student selection is top-notch. We love Share!

I have hosted with share for 3 years and it has always been an amazing memorable experience!!

I don't usually answer the phone when caller ID shows an 800 number but for some reason I did. The recorded message invited me to consider taking in an exchange student for the upcoming school year. I thought "That sounds like it could be interesting." And that's when the great adventure began. I was contacted by Joan about the program and after deciding it was something we wanted to do, we found the new member of our family, Martina. We had a great time. Martina was a ball of energy, funny, sweet and very positive. We taught her about America and Utah and she taught us about Spain. All along the way, our Share representative was there if we had questions or needed anything. We still Skype with our student and I must admit, I miss the nights on the couch reading with her to help her understand the colloquialisms and subtleties of English. We got to meet her family over Skype and make friends with her friends as she went through her sophomore year of High School. I would highly recommend looking into the Share student exchange program. You never know when a great adventure awaits you. Thanks, Kelly Grover

We had such a wonderful experience having an exchange student in our home. She was so positive and excited about everything here. The Share program was such a great way to do this because they were such a great support to her and to us. The long term benefits of having an exchange student are still coming because we are great friends with her and her family too. It's a priceless experience!

We have hosted three exchange students through the SHARE program over the years. Each one has been a great experience. The local SHARE coordinators have been supportive and helpful in helping us orient the different students. Each student has come excited about their new adventure and willing to try new things. We have made lifetime friends with each student.

When we received a phone call asking if we wanted to host an exchange student from Japan, we excited for the new adventure but also a little nervous. It was fun to correspond and get to know her a little bit before she actually came to stay. She was such a sweet addition to our family. We appreciated all the phone calls and visits from the organization as we all adjusted to this new lifestyle. Joan and Tanya were always there to help answer questions and give support. We loved learning about life in another country and sharing new experiences with her. It was so fun to see her interact with our girls and for her to have some sisters. It was a wonderful experience for our family!

I had a great experience with this organization several years ago when I hosted a boy from Turkey for several months. I felt that the coordinator and organization were supportive of us as a host family. I would recommend this to others.

It was a great experience having an exchange student. We loved learning about her German culture and sharing ours with her. We were glad that we said yes to Joan and had 10 months of adventure with another "daughter." It was like watching a child on Christmas morning as she experienced life in the United States and Utah and helped us appreciate anew all the things we have here.

We have hosted foreign exchange students for 3 years, one of those years, hosting 2 students! It was a great learning experience for us as parents, as well as for our children.. We still feel a special connection with those students who became part of our family and our culture during the time they spent with us. As with any family, issues can arise, but we always felt supported by our coordinators, Joan (Morford) and Tonya (Duncan), and we knew we could turn to them if we needed help. They were well organized, involved, and caring in their approach, not only to the students, but to us as well.

My 2015 female student from Germany was delightful! She came to me polite, honest, considerate, with excellent English and good study skills. Her schooling in Germany was more advanced, but she enjoyed the interaction she was able to have with teachers here. She joined the lacrosse team to help her make friends as other sports of interest to her were already filled. She enjoyed heathy meals, was helpful especially decorating for Christmas, and blended well with my grown children and extended family! Sweetly shy, I assisted in getting her a date for prom which she wanted so much to attend, but she planned activities with other foreign exchange students and friends. She had excellent snowboarding skills learning on the Swiss Alps, so we introduced her to the love of her life, Snowbird, at minimal expense with hand-me-downs from my kids and a reduced deal on a student pass. I treated her as one of my own, not requiring her to pay for meals or family activities while her father covered school expenses. We are in constant contact still today and I have a standing invitation to her German home. I call her my German daughter! JoAn, who organized beautifully with regular follow-through, assured me I would have a good experience and she was almost right ....I had a great experience! I did request one adjustment with the principal of our large high school enrollment, asking if they would consider introducing the foreign exchange students next year in opening assemblies so local students would recognize them and hopefully say "hi," helping them feel welcome.

We fell in love with our exchange student! She came to us because she needed a new placement in the area. Joan handled things in a marvelous way and made it very smooth for all involved. Our student had a wonderful experience as well, and has since come back to visit our family, and we periodically have FaceTime calls with her. She is hoping we will come visit her too. I think a lifelong friendship has developed. I would recommend hosting a student, and I am especially thankful for Joan's help.

We had a fantastic experience with our exchange. We stepped in at the last, when the original family had a family emergency, and Joan came to our home and helped orient us. Joan and Tonya helped answer questions and make a smooth transition. We were very pleased with the whole process, and our student wants to return.

We had an incredible, life changing experience with our exchange student. She has become more like a permanent member of our family. We are anxiously awaiting her return visit in a few weeks. It was much more than we expected going into it. The share organization and our coordinator was so helpful with training and suggestions before hand and continued support till the end.

I have helped part time in the office of the Regional Director for SHARE and my experience is that it is an organization that cares about the students, their host families and the volunteer workers.

We happened onto the SHARE exchange program at my school. We have had two students and the program has literally changed our lives. The first student came back and lived with us until he graduated from the university. We just came back from visiting our second exchange student in Slovakia. He is coming here to work this summer. SHARE and Joan Morford made the experience wonderful.

The opportunity you gain through hosting a foreign exchange student will bring culture and knowledge to everyone involved. The Share representatives we worked with were very helpful, knowledgeable, and there whenever we had questions or needed help. It was a amazing experience. Thanks Share for a wonderful year.

WELL I THINK THAT SHARE IS AN AWESOME ORGANIZATION. MY STORY IS THIS. I HAVE HAD 2 EXCHANGE STUDENTS, ONE STAYED ONLY 8 MONTHS SHE HAD A FEW ISSUES, BUT WE LOVED HER AND WORKS WITH JOAN MORFORD AND TONYA DUNCAN TO GET THINGS WORKED OUT. I WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THEIR HELP IN THAT SITUATION. BOTH FOR ME AND OUR EXCHANGE STUDENT. THE SECOND EXCHANGE STUDENT WE DIDNT REALLY NEED MUCH HELP, JUST ON A COUPLE OF TIMES AND WE ALWAYS RECEIVED HELP. THIS IS A VERY GREAT PROGRAM AND IT DOES HELP TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO YOU CAN CALL IF THERE IS A PROBLEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

We had so much fun the first time we hosted a student that we are doing it again. We've been very happy with the support we received from SHARE! High School Exchange Program. They worry about all the details so I don't have to. Great support, great experience.

I have hosted and been a coordinator for SHARE for many years. I was previously with another organization which I was not satisfied with and changed. I have been extremely happy hosting for them and working for them because they care about their coordinators and students on a personal basis.

We hosted our first exchange student and had a great experience. The SHARE program is caring and offers an opportunity to share cultures and family experiences. Try it, you'll like it!

We have been involved with the Share High School Exchange program and sponsored two (2) high school students from foreign countries over a two year period. Our experience has been very positive, We are presently signed up for our third experience and looking forward to it. It is a very well run organization probably because of the dedicated hard working individuals that we have worked with on our level. I am talking about the ones that put it together, plan and organize the matching up of the students with the families and further supervising the entire event from the beginning to the end. They are very dedicated, have years of experience and it shows.......

I have been involved with Share for 17 years. My introduction to Share was hosting a 17 year old, student from Brazil, (When my youngest child was a junior in high school) He, to this day is like my third son. After that amazing experience, I choice to apply to become a Share Coordinator.
Since that day forward I have had ten teenagers as my own host students along with being a Share Coordinator.

While hosting students, enriched my family,friends,and my life. I found Share to be an amazing long time established excellent non-profit organization. Share has opened my eyes to witnessing the outstanding and enriching international cultures of the world.
When you open your heart and home to the students in my opinion over the years this is an intangible lifetime experience involving everyone.

All levels of Share's Professional Staff are available at anytime to help and support the Students, Host Families, Coordinators,Area Mangers and Regional's. The Share Staff aspires to make everyone's' experience a special life-time friendship around the world.

We just finished hosting our 3rd student through the SHARE program. We've learned that not all exchange organizations are equal and feel lucky to have found the SHARE exchange organization. We have loved getting to choose our student; one whom we feel will 'mesh' with our family. Not only this but our Coordinator support once our student arrives has been fantastic. By following the guidelines/suggestions they made at our opening social we've been able to set expectations from the very start. We would recommend SHARE to anyone.

Hosting an exchange student is an experience you never forget. Our year started out great. When the holidays came she got so homesick that I thought we were going to loose her! After the new year she was determined to make it thru to the end. She made some new friends and overcame her fears. I am so proud of her! She is a great addition to our "in our hearts forever" family! Every time we host we have new experiences and we add to our family from all over the world. Thank you ERDT/Share!

We love this nonprofit group as a student exchange program they are the best we were with another group and had a bad experience but with them they gave us a lot of great advice And we have had a wonderful time and experience working with this group

This is my first year as a coordinator for SHARE, and I have had a good experience! I've appreciated the support from my regional administrator; she has been awesome and always available to answer questions and provide support. The program seems to be well organized with good, consistent follow up set up through the program, with the students and host families. I'm impressed with how thorough they are and that they have the students best interest at heart. I look forward to being a coordinator again.

My husband and I have been hosting exchange students since 1993. We have worked with many different companies throughout this time span and by far SHARE! High School Exchange Program has been the best. They are very supportive of both host families and students.

My husband and I have hosted through SHARE High School Exchange Program for the past 14 years. We now have children all over the world. In fact, I have recently become a host grandmother. SHARE is a great nonprofit organization and has great students too.

We have been a SHARE! family for two years and love it! Our family, especially my daughters, have already created friendships that will last a lifetime. The program is far different and much improved from the previous organization we hosted with.

My only critique is that I would wish we could host three students at a time. If we had to choose a new program again, we would choose SHARE!

We have had a great experience as a SHARE! host family. We have a 6th and 8th grader and they learned so much from being host siblings to our daughter from China that has better prepared them for high school. They do an amazing job overall and the host families we met come from a very diverse population. SHARE! really cares about your family and their students. This is a special organization!

They're great! Very helpful in every step of the way with our exchange student experience. Our EPC is always checking in and helping anywhere she can! We love SHARE!

my wife and I are so pleased to have the opportunity to host these most intristring students. we are so lucky to have an organisation as SHARE to personalize there support and services to fit or needs to make this a sucssessfull program. as a Cajun would say GO SHARE.

We are a house parent of a wonderful boy from the Netherlands, a wonderful opportunity for him in the USA, and even better for my wife and I to learn about the Netherlands. We have fallen in love with our new son! Thanks Share!

Share- High school exchange program has made a huge impact on my family and friend's lives.
We are always honored to share our heritage with the students and the program is there for us if we need any assistance. I am very thakful for the effort the staff puts into making this program work so smoothly. It has changed my life and has been a great blessing working with the program.

Share Exchange Student Program- We have hosted for the last 4 years and love it. Share Staff is Amazing!!

SHARE is the best. We are in our second year with this organization and couldn't ask for friendlier or more knowledgable staff .. We will be hosting with SHARE again and again.

I enjoy working with Share!. Information is clear and helpful. Staff is available to answer questions. There is limited summer pressure to place students in a hurry as they accept a manageable number of exchange students. Training is regular and up-to-date. All in all, it is a good organization in which to volunteer.

Love. We hosted with two other “A list” organization before moving to SHARE! and this is where we will continue volunteer as a host family! You will be impressed. I am proud that this organization is in my family’s lives, for both our biological and 8 international exchange children. Highly-recommended!

SHARE! High School Exchange Program- WE LOVE THIS NON-PROFIT! The staff is second to none and the sense of personalized attention to all family and student matters is wonderful. Best volunteer decision we could have made for our family!

SHARE! is a well-organized nonprofit organization for exchange students. I could always call my programm-coordinator if I had any problems or needed advise and she could always help me. The work of SHARE! is efficient and everything goes very fast.
I am an exchange student from Germany and I was placed in New Mexico. I like the nature of New Mexico, for example the beautiful sunrises (just look for "New Mexico Sunrise" on Google and you will see what I am talking about). I also loved visiting places like Dallas with my host family, going to church every sunday or watching Football with my host Dad.
In High School I have played Football and went to see the home games every Friday night until we finally became state champs.
This was the biggest adventure of my 16-year-old life.

This is our first year hosting. We have immensely enjoyed our year so far. The share program has been easy to work with and they are concerned about the happiness of both the student and the family. We are planning on hosting again next year.

We have hosted 8 students and it has been the best thing we have ever done for our family. it has helped my daughters and my husband and I be more open minded, more welcoming and more internationally minded. We now have family in Europe and we love visiting them in their homes and we love when the students come back to visit us in their second home. SHARE! is so supportive of the host families and always has the student's best interests in mind. we are so thankful for this organization!

As a coordinator I am overjoyed to meet all the wonderful families that make my job worthwhile. Families willing to open their home and heart to an international student brings another part of the world into their lives and that of their communities. I know that even the first time host families who were a little worried about what changes hosting could bring into their lives, were ALWAYS pleasantly surprised! I too find myself surprised of how much growth goes on during the stay. Both the families and the students grow in so many ways- especially in their bond with one another. Some students will keep in touch with their host families way after they are gone back to their country. I love my job, I love finding families that I myself would feel at ease leaving my child with if I were not there with them.
I too have hosted and must admit that each time, I learn many more things about myself. Every circumstance has made me wiser, more accepting and even more loving towards people who are different...., because in the end, by spending one or two semesters with them, I realize we actually more alike than different.
Hosting can close many gaps, opens your mind, your heart, and a Whole New World!

We are hosting with Share! High School Exchange program. Our experience has changed our lives forever. Share! coordinators are available 24/7 should a problem arise. They are extremely quick to respond do any questions we have. We were told our students are carefully screened to make sure that our experience is everything that it should be, we were not let down! Our student is amazing and we have absolutely no complaints about Share!.

Share is the most awesome supportive organization. We are Ambassadors to the world of International Exchange Students. We provide an incredible cultural exchange for our International students and their American host families. Life long relationships are forged between our host students, their host families, their communities, and our students' families. What a joy to contribute to our diverse global community!!!!!!

SHARE! is the absolute best program - ever! I have been involved in student exchange for over 30 years and the last 20 has been with SHARE! and will continue for many years to come. Everyone with SHARE! is compassionate about the program and take interest in every student, host family and local coordinators.

What a wonderful organization to work with, very caring and always responds to any concern whether student , family, or to me! I highly recommend this organization to volunteers, whether hosting or working with students.

SHARE! is a wonderful, supportive program with experienced, caring leaders. There is always someone there to answer questions and guide us through. This is our first year hosting, and after talking with and looking over other exchange organizations, SHARE! seemed to have the best mission, most effective and thorough process, and excellent staff. They've proved to be everything they seemed to be and more. I love that you cannot view a picture of a student while choosing - the emphasis on matching personalities is HUGELY important, protects the students, and makes the family look at the truly important details. In my opinion, this small feature is in large part what gives the program such success. Our student is studious, funny, and sweet, and fits into our family even better than expected. A++!

As a Coordinator for the ERDT SHARE! High School exchange program I have placed over 100 students in wonderful families. In the SHARE! program we are not desperate for host families. We do not place in sub-standard situations and we follow the State Department guidelines for placement. We are available to the schools and the families as well as the student. We contact our students and host families at least monthly and always ask if their is anything they need to discuss with us. We contact the schools quarterly. Our kids are quality kids who have been well screened and always excel in school. Some of them don't speak perfect English but their English is adequate to get them through our schools with good grades. A lot of our students participate in Literary Rally which picks the best students in the school to represent their school in certain subjects. My students who have taken the ACT have made from 22 to 27 in most cases. SHARE! is (although I will admit to some prejudice) the best program I know about today. I wouldn't want to be involved with any other Exchange program. Please SHARE! your heart and home with one of our wonderful SHARE! students. I have hosted one student and my daughter has hosted 3. My student came back to visit me this summer and she will always be our baby girl.

My husband and I just returned from a camping trip in the beautiful Rockies. What made it even more enjoyable was that our Swedish exchange student daughter, of 26 years ago, and her family flew in and shared a week with us, fishing, hiking, and site seeing. We have hosted 12 students over the years and each student has contributed and enriched our lives more than we ever dreamed possible. Share! High School Exchange Program is a great organization with a tremendous team of support and training. We have enjoyed forming friendships with other host families and getting to know their students as well.
If you are reading this and have ever thought of hosting an exchange student, we would say to "go for it" you will not regret it!

Share! has changed our lives beyond description. Teenagers arrived in our home as strangers and left as family members, and now we have young adult sons and daughters and grandchildren in Norway, Germany, Sweden, Czech Republic and Hong Kong. It's impossible to say whose lives are affected more in the hosting process--the student or the host family. I truly believe that the choice to host is in the top five decisions a person/family can make to impact their lives and the lives of others. And making the choice to host with Share! is so important because Share! takes care of its families and students. The support system is second to NONE. Share! rocks my world!

What joy it is to work for ERDT! For over ten years I have been blessed to participate in High School Foreign Exchange. The families and students are so brave! The experiences they share are some of the best in life and I am lucky to get to share in them as well. My organization, ERDT, has always been super top notch and professional. I am proud to be a part of their team. My supervisors are always there for me. That has been the most important part, to be supported fully.

I have been involved with SHARE! most of my life. As a young girl my family hosted many students. There are so many memories that I will forever cherish. It was so fun being a host sister. Later in my life I had the opportunity to be a local coordinator. This is the most rewarding and life changing job you could ever ask for. I don't really consider it a job. It is so fun to get to know the youth of the world; so many different cultures, languages, and customs. I have also had the opportunity to have exchange students in my own home. Even though I only have young children they have all done so well in my home. My kids love them. They are so good to adapt to different families and their different traditions.

Being a host family and being a coordinator is the most rewarding thing you could do in your life! It will open your eyes to a whole new world. I know it has for me.

We have been a host family two years in a row for exchanges students from Germany that we now consider family. SHARE was an excellent organization to go thru to host exchange students. They are very professional and handled every need we or the students had. We highly recommend using SHARE! We also highly recommend hosting an exchange student. Our family found the experience very enriching!! We learned so much about other cultures while at the same time meeting two new people we have grown to love!