Finding host families
From AFSWiki
This article describes different ways of generating leads for host families. For more general interest and awareness of AFS, see: lead-generating activities. For leads specific to sending students, see: Recruiting Sending Leads.
Host family finding is a mixture of many different approaches. While the most effective means has always been person-to-person word-of-mouth marketing ("farming" and not "hunting"), we know that building awareness for AFS in the community is also important. Newspapers articles, web postings, emails, flyers, and advertising in media helps raise the profile of AFS. Hosting recruitment is a year-round effort!
Hosting leads may come from several sources. Many come from presentations at high schools, which may generate both sending and hosting leads. Leads may also be generated from local media outreach, church newsletters, announcements at clubs, and friends and acquaintances of hosting families. Some leads come from people finding AFS through web searches.
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Important Note
Hosting coordinators must follow CSIET host family recruitment standards at all times, but particularly when recruiting host families at the time of arrival. If recruiting host families at time of arrival, please see: CSIET Host Family Recruitment Standards.
Community and networking
- Write down who you know in the community and what groups are you connected with (and encourage other volunteers to do the same).
- Tap into an already existing network: students, returnees, host families, natural families (current and past).
- Contact families involved with the same activities that hosted students are: soccer, tennis, golf, music, chess, etc.
- Grow your network. Reach out to new groups, including:
- Cultural groups
- Peace Corps volunteers
- Religious organizations
- Local businesses
- PTAs
- Home school associations
- School diversity councils
- Student and/or adult clubs
- Keep in mind the needs of the community- AFS might be able to volunteer for another organization.
- Read local papers and find out more about local organizations— and get in touch.
- Visit websites to find contacts within organizations, schools, newsletters, and media.
- Be a speaker or bring a student to speak at events.
- Host an Information Event
- Have info booths at local events, parades, festivals, and college fairs.
Staying in touch
Families
- Keep good records of anyone who has expressed interest in hosting by entering their information into Global Link and updating their records.
- Create an email list of "maybe next year" families and other interested families.
- Invite lots of people from your different networks to AFS events such as holiday parties and welcome picnics.
- Invite students and families from other exchange organizations to AFS events.
Schools
- Invite school officials to AFS events.
- Make sure to provide high quality support for schools.
- Make personal appearances in all of your high schools in classes, guidance and/or at a table in cafeteria.
- Do not forget contacting all high school counselors and foreign language teachers. Middle school teachers often have networks with high school teachers too.
- Send thank you notes and small gifts to schools.
- Most schools now have a web site with faculty e-mails: Use them to send personal messages to specific counselors, principals and teachers.
Get Help
- Get current host families and hosted students to help you find next year’s families. Ask them to "Each One Reach One" or "Everyone Ask One."
- Ask people to do non-hosting tasks first ( aunt/uncle families, liaisons, interviews, orientations) then work up to hosting.
- Build awareness with t-shirts, luggage tags, bumper stickers, flyers, and other objects with the AFS logo.
- Give hosting volunteers a list of tips or a calendar of recruitment activities.
Communicate
- When using email, follow the regulatory guidelines (do not use words like "urgent" or "emergency" and do not pair students’ full names and pictures).
- Find someone with an established listserv who is willing to help spread info about AFS.
- Leave flyers everywhere you go (doctor's offices, hairdresser, grocery store,etc.). Keep them in your car and briefcase.
- Wear your "Ask me about hosting an AFSer" everywhere you go.
- Always keep business cards with you to give to whom ever you may be sitting beside on the bus, elevator,train or plane. (Practice a short "spiel" on AFS to do when you share your card.
Local Media
- Local media materials for hosting including press release templates, letter to the editor samples and PSAs.
- Have students write thank you letters to the editor for their community & school welcoming them.
- Sharing media clips with host families
- Church newsletters, marques and bulletins. To locate e-mails and addresses for your local churches go to: http://www.churchangel.com
- Team websites can help locals get in contact with the local team.
See Also
- Check the hosting section of AFS Online, leads sub-section for new and active leads.
- Be sure to keep your own contact information outside of the web site, since leads that result in a Form A are removed from the leads section of the web site, and may be lost to searcher.
- form A follow-ups
- Lead-generating activities
- Hosting Blurb
