By Allison Peck
Listen to the full interview on our Kubota Podcast
A new cultural exchange opportunity is taking root across western Nebraska, as International Cultural Exchange Services begins building a network of host families for high school students from around the world.
Carli Liebrandt, the local area coordinator for International Cultural Exchange Services, is leading the effort across a wide region centered around North Platte.
“An area local coordinator finds an opening in schools and finds host families,” Liebrandt said. “So we work with an organization in Europe… and we can bring those students over here.”
Liebrandt serves as the local point of contact throughout the process, helping connect schools, students and families while also providing support if issues arise. “For the most part, I’m here 24/7,” she said. “If anything were to happen, whether it’s an emergency or anything, I would be the one controlling the situation.”
The program focuses on students ages 15 to 18, who travel to the United States for either a semester or a full school year. Host families play a central role in that experience.
“Well, basically it’s room and board is what needs to be provided along with the meal,” Liebrandt explained. “So they would need at least a room and a bed to themselves… and then they will receive funding through the program… for those basic necessities.”
While the concept of hosting an exchange student may seem familiar, one aspect often surprises people.
“These foreign exchange students, it’s not their native language to speak English,” she said. “They have to go through a process… and then they come over to the U.S. to immerse themselves into the U.S. culture.”
Students are required to demonstrate a basic understanding of English before arriving, but the goal is to build fluency through everyday interaction with their host families and communities.
Liebrandt is currently working to recruit host families across a roughly 120-mile radius, something she acknowledges can be a challenge in rural Nebraska.
“I was told it can be quite challenging,” she said. “But once you get your first host family going… a domino effect happens.”
She is seeking a wide range of households, including single parents, empty nesters and families involved in schools, sports or community organizations. Students and families are matched based on shared interests whenever possible.
Despite the logistical challenges, Liebrandt believes the long-term impact could be meaningful for communities across the region.
“I think as Nebraska as a whole is a state that has a lot of hospitality,” she said. “And I think that would just help us even more to have more diversity.”
For those unable to travel, she says the program offers a chance to experience other cultures close to home.
“You’ll find out that there are differences, but in the long run, we’re all very similar,” Liebrandt said. “And sometimes that connection… can be for a lifetime.”
Liebrandt says there is no strict deadline to apply, as placements can happen throughout the year, but early interest is encouraged as student placements begin to fill.
“The first time you start it, I believe that you may not want to stop being a host family,” She said, calling it “a one-in-a-lifetime experience.”
More information about hosting or getting involved can be found at icesusa.org.