Imagine profoundly impacting the future of an international student—providing them with an experience they’ll remember forever. When you become a homestay family in Thunder Bay, you get to provide a safe, welcoming home for a student looking to experience life in Ontario and Canada.
Becoming a homestay family in Thunder Bay is a straightforward process. We’ll tell you what to expect and how to get started, so keep reading.
Benefits of becoming a homestay host family in Thunder Bay
There are many incredible sights and experiences in and around Thunder Bay (the Terry Fox Monument, Blue Point Amethyst Mine, Cascades Conservation Area, and the Centennial Botanical Conservatory, for example), and you can show them to your homestay student. In addition to all the potentially life-changing benefits the student receives, you get some awesome benefits too.
You’ll:
- Get to learn about new cultures and traditions from your homestay student
- Get to share your family’s Canadian culture and traditions with others
- Have the opportunity to plant the seed of adventure and world exploration in a student
- Create new family memories
- Earn a monthly compensation. As a host family, you receive a monthly amount to help cover the added cost of accommodation and food for your student. With Harmony Homestay, this amount could be up to $1050 per month.
Are you interested in becoming a host family in BC? Check out our latest blog on how to become a homestay family in BC!
Requirements to become a homestay family
Before you can begin creating a fantastic experience for an international student, you need to understand what you’re committing to and ensure you meet the requirements.
You should want to provide a rewarding experience for your student. The best homestay experiences for the family and student, are ones where the host family actively involves the student in experiencing Canadian culture. You’re not applying to simply be room and board, you’re applying to create a rich experience for a student. This mindset is super important create the best experience for both you and your student.
The requirements to become a homestay family in ThunderBay include:
- Providing a safe place for the student to call home while they’re in Thunder Bay. This includes providing three healthy meals per day.
- Agreeing to provide proper supervision for the student. Older students may be allowed to go to and from school and around the community independently, but if you’re hosting any younger students, you must provide adequate supervision and transportation. This also includes setting appropriate house rules.
- Agreeing to only speak English around the student. It’s okay if the student wants to teach you their language, but the primary language spoken should be English. Learning English is massive part of the student’s experience.
- Providing criminal record checks. All adults in the home must provide a criminal record check.
- Providing fast, secure internet access. The student should have access to high-speed internet in your home so they can do their homework, stay in touch with their family, and enjoy some personal research as needed.
How to apply
If you’re interested in becoming a Homestay Family it’s best to apply early! We accept new applications year round.
We’re currently looking for homestay student families in Thunder Bay, Ontario. If you’re considering applying, here’s how to get started:
- Create an account with True North to start your application. This is our Homestay Portal and all Homestay Families need to have an account. (Already have an account? Log in here.)
- Confirm your email and log in to complete your application. You must complete the entire application before we can review it. When you’ve successfully completed the application you’ll see a screen that says “Harmony Application Submitted.”
- Once we’ve received your completed application we will get in touch with you about next steps.
Still have questions about becoming a host family? We host live info sessions where you’ll learn more about the application process and the experience of hosting an international student. Sign up for our host newsletter to get notified of the next info session.
Ready to apply? We match international students with warm, compassionate host families across British Columbia and Ontario. We’re accepting applications for new host families and students year-round, so submit your application today to start the process: Apply Now
