Cultural Homestay International (CHI) is a non-profit public benefit organization founded in 1980 to promote international understanding, friendship, and goodwill through cultural homestays. We believe that the best way to eliminate fear and prejudice among nations is to experience directly the cultures, languages, and customs of the peoples by living with them. The CHI program focuses primarily on the education of the participating student, the volunteer host family, and the local community through communication and interaction in the home, the classroom, the host business and the neighborhood. It is our hope that a more informed citizenry will ultimately contribute to a more prosperous, democratic, and peaceful world.

CHI has also been empowered by the United States Department of State to issue special forms for J-1 exchange visas to worthy overseas students who desire to participate in one of the 14 different CHI programs, ranging from 10-month high school placements to 18-month professional internships. Our organization is proud to be a member of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), the Federation of International Youth Travel Organizations (FIYTO) and the Alliance. Since 1980, more than 200,000 students have participated in CHI's worldwide programs.



CHI Directors, main office staff, Area Administrators and overseas partners
pose during an October, 2001, conference in Prague, Czech Republic.

Cultural Homestay International employs a full-time staff of 85 and a part-time staff of 320 people. CHI maintains 28 offices throughout the U.S. and Canada, plus offices in Japan and Slovakia. Our Group Homestay Program welcomes more than 4,000 young people from 10 different countries each year. CHI's Academic Year in the U.S. brings 750 students from 32 countries into our homes for a high school year. Additionally, we receive close to 1,000 interns who receive professional training in hundreds of host businesses across the U.S. Every year CHI welcomes thousands of university students from all continents for temporary seasonal jobs during their summer vacation in the USA Work & Travel Program. More than 2,000 Americans have participated in CHI homestay programs abroad during the last 25 years.

Over the past two and a half decades, CHI has developed into one of the top student exchange organizations in the world. Its reputation is rock solid. CHI still operates under the same management team that co-founded the organization in 1980. Many CHI Administrators, operations personnel and local coordinators have been with CHI for over 15, even over 20 years. CHI is unique in that it has been designated by the U.S. Department of State to operate five J-1 visa-based programs, the latest two being Au Pair and Camp Counselors. CHI currently accepts over 15,000 students and young adults per year from 42 different countries on five continents. Although CHI has become a large, respected organization in its field, it has not lost its youthful idealism, vigor, and a profound belief in the bright, peaceful future for all mankind.

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