Tales from America: AHN Homestay trip report – Week 1

As part of the Australian Homestay Network’s ongoing efforts to increase awareness and standards of homestay around the world, Executive Director David Bycroft and Marketing Manager Ella Balsamo are visiting the U.S., home of more than 700,000 international students – of which a growing percentage are looking to homestay as a viable option for accommodations. Below is a quick trip report from Ella on the team’s first week in America. 

Our first week in Seattle has seen some exciting developments for not only the homestay standards here in the USA (and of course in Australia) but also plans are now afoot to join forces and fix up Homestay globally. We’re excited to be hosted and partnering with our friends here in Seattle who are directing the American Homestay Network (AHN USA), which launched in 2012 to address the growing demand by international students in America for homestay, and to increase the overall standards in the country. Not dissimilar to our efforts when we were beginning AHN, the AHN USA team is eager to help students, hosts and educators have a safe, rewarding cultural experience.

Also in week one, AHN USA rolled out its ‘Regional Agency Program’ which is a chance for AHN Homestay to regionalise quickly into the major States of the USA. Australia will now also expand its own regional roll out program to ensure that we can get to those hard to get to regions that need us.

Last Thursday we had great pleasure in being invited to the Mayor of Seattle’s Sister City Associations Reception as part of our affiliation with the World Affairs Council here in Seattle. This was a great event and really helps encourage cultural exchange. A fantastic function with lots of interest in standards based Homestay and what AHN was doing in both countries. We had an informal but productive chat with representatives of Boeing in Seattle and there are some great opportunities for exchange type programs.

Saturday we were invited by Michelle Harden from our USA team to a Seattle Race Day at Emerald Downs. Race 4 was aptly named the Harden Party Purse and we were pleased to see Horse 5 was called Ryan’s Argument (We have a Ryan working in our Australian Head Office Team). After many bets we watched it win easily at 3 to 1 which we are hoping is a good sign!!!!!!

On Mother’s Day (Sunday, 12^th May) we had the privilege of attending the Seattle Rock Orchestra’s performance of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. All round class act and exceptional value at $20 per ticket.

All in all a great first week with a busy schedule for our next week in the USA.

Cheers,

- Ella