AFS-USA Intercultural Programs is looking for families in Estacada to host exchange students arriving in the U.S. this August and September.

These international high school students are eager to attend a local high school, live with a host family and to discover what America is all about.

The students coming to Estacada need supportive families to host them for up to 12 weeks.

Host families provide a bed and meals, share their daily lives with students, and help guide and support students as they would their own children. Families and their hosted students receive support from AFS staff and experienced, local volunteers.

“I thought that the best part of hosting would be experiencing new countries and cultures, which has definitely happened. I was surprised to find that the best part has actually been experiencing the gratefulness and love that these kids brought into our lives. They truly become part of the family,” said Kelly Hanson, host mom to six AFS students, including her current host children, a boy from Thailand and a boy from Lebanon.

“Our ‘kids’ still call us to share their lives and struggles. We are an on-going part of their lives, not just a memory from their past. Hosting is an awesome way to change the world from your own home. I know that in several faraway places in the world that our influence continues to make an impact through the kids that we’ve hosted,” she said.

Each year, AFS-USA sends more than 1,100 U.S. students abroad, provides approximately $3 million in scholarships and financial aid, and welcomes 2,300 international high school students who come to study in U.S. high schools and live with host families.

For more information, call 503-419-9503 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .