Exchange Families International
Our vision: Our students will be more inclusive, compassionate, and become the leaders of tomorrow. Leadership skills are nurtured and developed and our exchanges provide the students with the opportunity to think beyond borders and become a bridge between communities.
Our mission: We carefully select and vet families from different countries that share common interests, values, and goals, who want their children to have the opportunity to discover a new culture and language while immersed in a reciprocal exchange.
An international organization of caring families
Exchange Families International (“EFI”) facilitates cross-cultural education through full cultural and linguistic reciprocal exchanges for children ages of 8-17. Students gain a better connection to a country by living in a supportive and caring family rather than by simply experiencing a country as a tourist. We turn the world into a classroom and provide experiential learning that enhances their academics. We believe the best learning comes from students pushing themselves past the comfort zone of home and school and embracing the challenges of living immersed in a supportive community.
Explore the world together
By matching families with shared interests, values, and goals, children can easily settle into their new life and focus on being immersed in their adopted culture. The two exchange students spend an equal amount of time in each home helping one another learn the language and customs of their country. Learning a language through immersion offers the best possible opportunity to become fluent in a new language.
Many families from Europe will come and visit their children after their exchange, providing a great opportunity for us to welcome European visitors to Penticton. The International students that are hosted in Penticton for an exchange become tourism advocates back home, along with their families after they’ve had the opportunity to experience Penticton and the South Okanagan for themselves.
For more information, please go to our website:
www.exchangefamilies.com