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The UMass Civic Initiative, a business group of the UMass Donahue Institute, is looking for hosts to participate in the Summer 2024 Homestay Program. A homestay brings together one or two international undergraduate students with local individuals or families in the Pioneer Valley. The experiences are overnight and last from lunchtime on the first day through lunchtime the next day.

The Civic Initiative, which has been running exchange programs in the valley since 2003, has over 1,500 alumni from around the world who have consistently told the program’s organizers that the homestay is the most rewarding part of their visit.

Previous hosts have said that the casual conversations that take place with the students have opened up new insights into the society, culture and politics of both the U.S. and other countries and that the hosts’ young children have been given an early glimpse of world diversity.

An eligible family will live no more than an hour’s drive from Amherst and a typical guest number is two students. Besides meals, hosts can arrange local activities like a going to a movie, taking a walk or attending sporting event. Civic Initiative staff will handle the drop-off and pick-up transportation and will provide students’ social or dietary information in advance.

The Initiative is looking for homestay hosts for the following weekends for a one-night stay:

• June 21-22 
• June 28-29 
• July 5-6
• July 12-13

Note that the Initiative strictly follows CDC guidelines regarding testing and quarantine guidelines.

More information about the Civic Initiative can be found at www.donahue.umass.edu/Civic. Those interested in becoming a host or who have questions about the program can contact Theresa Wodecki at twodecki@donahue.umass.edu or 413-575-1709.