Can you imagine your family cooking pasta together or enjoying a homemade tiramisu while sharing stories from across the ocean? Hosting an Italian exchange student brings food, culture, and friendship right into your home! Italian students are excited to explore your world while sharing their own traditions. Here are five reasons why hosting an Italian student could be a deliciously fun choice!
#1 Welcome a student who becomes part of your family
Italian students are kind, affectionate, family-oriented and come from such a beautiful culture, which makes them so easy to love!
– Host mom, Susan, from Broomfield, Colorado
#2 Experience Italian culture up close
Right image: Marta from Italy participating in a host family tradition and holiday celebration
Hosting an Italian exchange student has given our family the chance to experience another culture in such a personal way! We’ve celebrated their Santa Lucia tradition, learned how to cook Italian foods, and attempted to learn their language, all while she perfects her English, goes to school, and also learns our traditions and holidays! She’s become more than just a stranger in our home as we consider her family now, and we’re so excited to keep up with her and visit her family and hometown in the future!
– Host mom, Lana, from Richfield, Utah
#3 Bring Italian flavors into your kitchen
Gabriele is kind, respectful, and matter-of-fact with his thoughts. It’s been interesting learning about his Italian culture, school, and traditions. He is very particular about his food traditions and preferences. I enjoy spending time with him in the kitchen and trying new dishes together. His Italian language is beautiful and interesting to hear when he speaks with his family and friends in Italy. Even though I feel like I’m slaughtering the language, I’ve enjoyed learning some words and phrases from him as a native speaker. Would I choose an Italian again? Only if they are as awesome as Gabriele!
– Host mom, Amber from Ogden, Utah
#4 Experience the warmth and personality of Italian life
Right right: Christian from Italy opening a care package from home to share with his host family
Hosting an Italian exchange student has been such a fun and meaningful experience for us. We already love Italy, so it felt like the perfect fit and now we get to experience the culture, language, and traditions in a really personal way. It’s been so cool learning the “real” Italian way of doing things…plus, who wouldn’t love the authentic pasta, cheese, and espresso his parents sent as a care package!
– Host mom, Amanda, from West Linn, Oregon
#5 Discover Italy alongside your student
Last August, we took our three children to Italy to visit Firenze, Pisa, and Lucca to meet up with Elisa from Sicily, a former exchange student from the Spring 2023 semester, and her family. We shopped, ate pastries, and drank affogato in a little café, saw the Leaning Tower, and loved every minute we spent with Elisa, her mom, dad, and younger sister. They have truly become our “family.”
– Host mom, Holley, from Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Are you interested in making a student a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. Check out the profiles of our wonderful students. New student profiles go online every Thursday!
