NWSE Blog
A Cultural Exchange Journey in Hawaii
Hosting an exchange student is about more than just cultural exchange – it’s about building family. From shared laughs to valuable life lessons, the bond between host dad Ross and his exchange student, Baigazy from Kyrgyzstan, transcends borders. “In August 2024, I welcomed Baigazy into my family (which includes my two cockatoos). We quickly arranged things so he could arrive … Read More
NWSE Spotlights French Exchange Students to Celebrate National French Week
The American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) is celebrating its 22nd annual National French Week in November. This is a week-long celebration of all things French in classrooms, school campuses and communities across the US. NWSE is proud to take this opportunity to showcase the ways some of our amazing French students are making an impact on their host … Read More
A Heartwarming Father’s Day Tribute: From Host Father to Best Man
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the incredible men who have made a profound impact on our lives. Today, we want to share a story that perfectly captures what it means to be a father figure, transcending borders and creating lifelong bonds. Rob, an amazing NWSE host dad and local coordinator, has touched the hearts and lives of many … Read More
High School Spotlight! La Crescent-Hokah Public Schools
La Crescent, Minnesota – a small town with a BIG heart for cultural exchange High schools partnering with NWSE that actively support cultural exchange programs play a critical role in fostering understanding, diversity and global citizenship among students. They help students broaden their perspectives, appreciate cultural differences, and develop life-long friendships. In this blog, we’d like to spotlight one such … Read More
Dale Nicholson Exchange Student Scholarship
It is with highest honor that NWSE announces the student to receive NWSE’s first Dale Nicholson Exchange Student Scholarship Award for the 2023-24 school year. NWSE created the Dale Nicholson Exchange Student Scholarship in 2022 to spotlight and commemorate Dale’s devotion to cultural exchange, and the passion, care and commitment she had for foreign exchange students. For 30 years, Dale … Read More
Two families share a daughter and make lasting connections!
One goal of cultural exchange is to connect and share with people from other countries and cultures. The Beasleys, an NWSE host family, and the Rueda Dujovnes family from Spain have taken this concept one step further than most, vacationing together in each other’s home countries at the end of the exchange program this past June. They called it “30 … Read More
Celebrating 35 Years of NWSE
As we kick-off the 2022-23 exchange season, we are excited to announce that this is NWSE’s 35th year sponsoring cultural exchange programs! To celebrate this milestone, we want to thank all the host families, exchange students, international partners, staff, coordinators, schools and school districts across the U.S. and around the world that have participated in and supported our program and … Read More
Class of 2019/20 – It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See you Later!
We can’t believe your NWSE program is coming to a close soon! Hopefully, you are already thinking about getting ready for your return home. With all the feelings of anticipation, sadness, and excitement piling up, things are likely getting a little stressful. Don’t worry! This is completely normal and ok! These feelings should tell you how close you have become … Read More
NWSE Activity Guide Part 5 and Contest Winners
Dear NWSE Community, We are so proud of all of you for working together and making these challenging times a positive experience! You have created close bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime. This week’s newsletter updates you about the NWSE fundraising campaign, suggests more fun ideas for activities, and – what you’ve been waiting for – announces the … Read More
NWSE Activity Guide – Part 4
Dear NWSE Community, As promised, NWSE is back and here to support you with more suggestions for fun activities. We also want to thank everyone who participated in our video and TikTok contest – we are reviewing all your great videos and will announce the winners shortly! NWSE Tip: Students and host families can enjoy most of the activities we … Read More
Join the NWSE GoFundMe Campaign to support Student Exchange
Support the NWSE GoFundMe Campaign Dear NWSE Community, The NorthWest Student Exchange programs have been hit very hard by the coronavirus situation. We seek your support to help NWSE avert the full impact it will have on our programs. Already this year way too many of our students were forced to separate from their host families and schools, having seen their … Read More
NWSE Activity Guide and Contest Reminder!
Welcome to week 3 of NWSE’s activity newsletter! In this week’s edition, you will find more tips for cool online concerts, interesting virtual field trips, ideas to channel your creativity, and so much more! …. School Closure Video Contest Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Make a video or TikTok and win prizes! Simply follow the instructions on our contest … Read More
NWSE in the Press – Vancouver Family Magazine
Press coverage of NWSE taken from an article by Dana Greyson, published in the Vancouver Family Magazine on March 31, 2020 EXCHANGE RATE: UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES WITH INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS About six years ago, Vancouver mother Sara Hardy learned of a short-term student exchange opportunity through her twins’ school. Her family agreed to host two Taiwanese boys for just 48 hours. The … Read More
NWSE Activity Guide and Contest Announcement
We hope you are enjoying the suggested activities during this period of school closures! As promised, we are back! NWSE will continue to suggest cool activities during this temporary coronavirus situation, to help you remain positive and engaged with each other, yourselves and your program. …. School Closure Video Contest Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Simply follow the … Read More
NWSE March Newsletter – Activities for Everyone! – Part 1
Dear NWSE Community, We want to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude to you as all of us join together to navigate the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation. First and foremost, we need to remember that this is a temporary situation. In that sense, let’s remain forward-thinking and positive while doing what we can to meet the challenges at hand in … Read More
The Year of the DS-2019 with NorthWest Student Exchange
For 32 years, NorthWest Student Exchange (NWSE) has promoted cultural exchange, foreign language study, and international education by offering meaningful and affordable exchange programs for high school students from around the world. High school cultural exchanges foster international understanding and personal development, and provide new perspectives and insights into the world for everyone involved. NWSE host families volunteer to open … Read More