Become an Area Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read below for answers to common questions about becoming a NorthWest Student Exchange Area Coordinator. For any questions not answered in our FAQ below, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

What is the compensation?
Area Coordinators (ACs) receive compensation for each student they place and/or monitor. Compensation depends on the length and type of program the AC supervises. Please contact NWSE for specific information.   Besides student placements, ACs may qualify to attend and participate in the NWSE annual conference.
How am I paid?
Payments are direct-deposited into Area Coordinators' bank accounts on a monthly basis over the academic semester or year, depending on the length of the student’s program.
How much time do Area Coordinator activities take?
Area Coordinators are independent contractors who determine their own work schedules. Total time spent depends primarily on the number of students you supervise, how many host families you recruit and informal cultural activities you may organize.
How do I find host families?
There may be as many ways of finding host families as there are stars in the sky. However, some are much more effective than others. NWSE provides a list of proven approaches for host family recruitment that you are free to use. Great Area Coordinators also rely on their own ingenuity, networking with friends, acquaintances and other contacts in their communities.
What would be my “community”?
The US Department of State (and of course NWSE) allows Area Coordinators to recruit host families within a 120 mile radius of their home.
What is the role of the U.S. Department of State?
The U.S. Department of State authorizes exchange organizations, via an arduous “designation” process, to organize and manage cultural exchange programs for J-1 international exchange students visiting the USA. NorthWest Student Exchange closely follows the Department’s regulations.
What is the role of CSIET?
The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, CSIET, oversees and markets qualified exchange organizations that follow CSIET's Standards to school districts around the USA. NorthWest Student Exchange closely follows CSIET standards.

“Taking part in this program was much more than living for six months in another continent with different people. I still can’t believe how close I got with my friends…

Chiara from Italy

“What I love the most about my exchange in America is my host family. I will definitely come back to America to see them and all my friends. The food, school,…

Sol from Spain

“The greatest reward of my exchange was the relationship with my host families who would like to keep in touch and be a life time family.”

Juri from Japan

“This was our first experience. Everything went very smoothly for us. My husband, who was pretty nervous about the whole idea [of hosting], loved the experience. He texted me the…

Laurie and Glenn from Montana, USA
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