The cool, crisp air, the falling leaves, and the shorter days can only mean that fall has arrived, and so have our foreign exchange students! And now that they're here, our ICES exchange students have started school, decided which clubs to join or sports to participate in, and are integrating into their American life with their host families. It can be a lot of fun as they experience fall in the USA for the first time. Let's take a look into the first weeks of their exchange and find what some of them have been up to.
Pinball Wizards (International Style)
Anaheim Union High School District (California) had a Pinball Party for all of their international students, and our ICES students, Didier (Italy), Giulia (Italy), Chhayhee (Thailand), Rayan (Luxembourg), Sebastian (Poland), Anton (Germany) and Adin (Germany) were all able to participate. Three of them even placed in the top 10! That's quite an accomplishment, as you can see from the photo above how many contestants there were.
Our thanks to Mr. Green at Anaheim Union High School District for putting on a great tournament. Want to see the final 4 pinballers in action? Click here!
New Things Photo Contest Winners!
"I've never done this before". It's a common phrase that is uttered frequently in families that host exchange students, and most often by the students themselves. So we decided to host a photo contest in which our students, in the first weeks of their exchange, send photo's of some of the new things they have done for the first time since arriving in the U.S. First, lets take a look at our "New Things Photo Contest" winners, and then some of the MANY runner's up. Enjoy!
"That was the first time fishing for me and I caught my first fish ever. We were at their (her host family's) cabin in the mountains and hiked to this beautiful place."
~ Elina from Switzerland in Casper Wyoming
"Before coming to America, the only cows I had seen were the ones on the milk cartons, but these past days I have even fed them. At the beginning I was a bit afraid of being that close to them but later I even caressed them. The one in the photo is Ginger. It has been a lot of fun. It has enriched my life because I have felt a lot of emotions, and I have been able to do things that I cannot do where I live. I have enjoy learning new things that I would not have learned if I were not here. I am looking forward to living many more experiences."
~ Irene from Spain in Missouri
"My host family lives on a farm, and my host parents are farmers. On our farm we have pigs, chickens, chicks and horses. The whole family is involved in the farm, both parents and siblings. We have about 300 chickens and every day we can collect more than 100 eggs! This is my first experience related to farms and I am really enjoying my exchange year!"
~ Marina from Spain in Colorado
And the New Things Contest Runners Up!
(Honestly, these are too good to not share with you!)
Marina (Spain) with live crabs!
Bruna (Spain) doing archery at the fair in Oklahoma
Lola (Spain) in Pep squad in Texas
Naluncha (Thailand) visiting the Statue of Liberty
Maria (Spain) ziplining in Florida
Sara (Italy) visiting the San Francisco Bay Bridge in California
Emily (Italy) at the Notre Dame game in Indiana
Albane (France) with a moose... at a mall in Illinois
Be sure to read the sign!
Maya (Germany) in Oregon
Juan (Spain) living his football dream in Louisiana
Carola (Italy), in the front, doing a cardboard boat race for her AP Physics class
Zuzana (Czech Rep.) enjoying s'mores for the first time ever
Leonie (Germany) cheering in North Carolina
Lucia (Spain) throwing axes in Nebraska
And finally... YOGA GOATS!
We really had a wonderful response from students all over the U.S., and wish we had room to show you all of the wonderful "New Things" that our students are experiencing for the first time. And we want to say a big Thank You to all of our wonderful host families for helping our students experience everything from Fishing to Yoga Goats! And congratulations again to our first prize winners Elina, Irene, and Marina!
Blogtoberfest
The ICES blog has been publishing some great posts lately. Let's take a look at some of our most recent articles.
Study Abroad: From Minnesota to Norway
While most 16-year olds were shopping for school supplies, Shelby Balmer was packing her bags and boarding a flight to Oslo, Norway to embark on a ten-month adventure as a foreign exchange student!
Your exchange student has arrived – finally! And it’s so much fun to host until… Wham! Culture shock hits. And your sweet student is suddenly homesick.
Culture shock is normal and temporary, but it's real. And it can be tough!
As summer winds down and school starts back up, you might also be getting excited for all things fall. Whether it’s watching the leaves change colors, putting on a cozy sweater, or enjoying pumpkin soup, check out our top 10 fall favorites to share with your exchange student.
For several years now, we’ve been cranking out weekly blog posts to share our love of culture, exchange students, and host families--and all the fun the combination of those things brings. So grab some java, settle into your favorite chair, and prepare to be delighted, as we highlight some of our most popular past blog posts.
This question came up as a group of friends was asking me about which typical Chilean foods I’d tried so far during my exchange.
I scrunched my nose, shook my head, and said, “No, gracias.”
My friend, Rhode, quickly piped up, “Yes you have! You had it at my house.”
So that’s what that was! (Sometimes it’s better not to ask. . .) I remembered eating some kind of unfamiliar meat when I had lunch at her house—and I liked it!
Had I known what it was, I’m not sure I would have tried it. But I’m glad I did.
From Wyoming to Belgium, Archer is making the most of the ICES Study Abroad Program. His mother took some time to provide us with a wonderful update!
We live in a very rural part of Wyoming. It’s a beautiful and safe place to live, but the opportunity to know people from other places is minimal. As a family who values multiculturalism and understanding, we encouraged high school exchange programs for both of our boys, and our younger son, Archer, went on exchange in 2021-2022 through ICES. He chose to go to Belgium.
In Belgium, Archer was part of a lively family in the heart of raising four wonderful children. This was a huge contrast with life at home, where he has no sisters and only one older brother who had already moved out of the house. As the result of being in a lively, active home, Archer began speaking fluent French after only 3 months, and is now bilingual. And despite learning about physics for the first time (in French!) Archer has now chosen to pursue physics in college.
It’s difficult to find words to express the full value of high school exchange. It’s so easy to get caught up in the social pressures and status quo of high school life in America. Breaking out of the norm and sending your child away is scary! But the world is such a big, beautiful place. People around the world have different habits and customs and ways of loving. Learning these things with your children brings you closer together and as a result, your relationship becomes more mature.
~ Archer’s Mother, Dannine
ICES is excited to send American Students (like Archer) to other countries through our Study Abroad Program! It's a great way to:
Learn a new language and culture
Become more independent
Make new friends and build lifelong bonds
See the world
If you know a student that would be interested in the ICES Study Abroad experience, simply direct them to the link below.
If your exchange student is going the extra mile to adapt, integrate, and share cultures, you should nominate them for Student of the Month! It's a high honor that comes with some great prizes.
"Bridging the gap of cultural diversity through high school youth exchange is the most important and effective way to for our youth to come together as one to build a better tomorrow for our world and loved ones." ~ John Crist, President and CEO, ICES
There are several ways you can keep in touch with all things ICES this year, and for years to come.
To subscribe to the official ICES Blog, click here.
To follow the ICES National Facebook page, click here.
And if just want more information about ICES and our ongoing mission to positively impact the world through cultural exchange, visit our website.
Fall Stories
The early months of an exchange year can be filled with wonderful experiences. Share your "welcome" photos, first impressions, and arrival stories from the start of this exchange year, and you might just see them pop up in our social media, blog, or newsletter.
Send your fall memories to stories@icesusa.org. Please include the student's name, home country, and the host family's name and home state.
Here's to a great year!
International Cultural Exchange Services, 375 N. Stephanie Street, Bldg. 16, Henderson, Nevada 89014, United States, Toll-Free within USA: 1-800-344-3566 Call from outside USA: +1 434-993-1973
.jpg?upscale=true&width=900&upscale=true&name=image002%20(1).jpg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=900&upscale=true&name=Elina%20from%20Switzerland%20and%20I%E2%80%98m%20currently%20in%20Casper%20Wyoming%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=900&upscale=true&name=Palencia%2c%20Spain%20and%20this%20photo%20is%20in%20Lawson%2c%20Missouri%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=900&upscale=true&name=Marina%20Ballv%C3%A9%20Torras%20Colorado%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Marina%20Luque%20Mena%20Spain%20Lousiana%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Bruna%20Alberton%2c%20from%20Spain%2c%20and%20I%E2%80%99m%20in%20Claremore%2c%20Oklahoma%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Naluncha%20Niamsri%20Thailand%20MI%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=I%E2%80%99m%20in%20Florida%2c%20my%20host%20family%20names%20are%20James%20McGovern%20and%20Courtney%20McGovern%20and%20my%20full%20name%20is%20Maria%20Gil%20Gomez2%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Sara%20and%20I%20come%20from%20Italy%2c%20in%20California%20called%20Oakdale%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Emily%20Atkinson%20from%20Rome%20in%20Indiana%20(2).jpeg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Albane%20Tatiana%20Lacord.%20France%20Host%20city%20mundelein%20il%20(2).jpg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Zuzana%20Kosov%C3%A1%2c%20Czech%20Republic%2c%20Middleville%2c%20Michigan4%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Maya%20Vogt%20Germany%20Florence%20OR%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Carola%20Pastore%20from%20Italy%20living%20in%20Rocklin%20California%20(2).jpeg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Zuzana%20Kosov%C3%A1%2c%20Czech%20Republic%2c%20Middleville%2c%20Michigan3%20(2).jpeg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=Lucia%20Varela%20Capel%2c%20Exchange%20student%20from%20Spain%20living%20in%20Lincoln%2c%20Nebraska.%20(2).jpg)
.jpeg?upscale=true&width=520&upscale=true&name=I%E2%80%99m%20in%20Florida%2c%20my%20host%20family%20names%20are%20James%20McGovern%20and%20Courtney%20McGovern%20and%20my%20full%20name%20is%20Maria%20Gil%20Gomez%20(2).jpeg)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=560&upscale=true&name=Hannah%20Mehl%20from%20Germany%20in%20Athens%20in%20Alabama%20(2).jpg)