Korero AS was established by Sarah J. Lyons in 2015. Korero is a small, specialized student exchange firm.
- Org nr 915 894 593
- Country manager and owner: Sarah Joy Lyons
- Email:
@korero.no / hello@korero.no
- Mob: +4792696989
- http://korero.no
Korero AS was established by Sarah J. Lyons in 2015. Korero is a small, specialized student exchange firm.
«Listing is neither an endorsement of an organization nor a guarantee of the quality of its programs. In addition, listing by CSIET does not suggest that only listed organizations are legitimate.» (CSIET)
Before you leave home as an exchange student you may already have been in contact with your assigned host-family. Even if you have not, the exchange organization is supposed to have forwarded details on where the family lives, how many family members there are, their ages, contact information and host parent occupations. Included with that information are probably pictures of the family and their home. I do not know if all exchange organizations follow this guideline.
You might get told that you are going to a temporary family (see below). Other times the exchange student is told that a representative will function as host family until a permanent family is found (see below).
A host family is a family that has promised to allow you to live with them for the duration of your exchange student stay. There isn’t really a template for what a host family should look like:
The host-parents should be at least 25 years old. Any younger than that and they might well end up being a friend and not a boundary maker. I do not think there is an upper age limit. However:
A temporary host family is one that is supposed to last very few weeks until the exchange organization has found a permanent host family. If the exchange student is lucky, the temporary family willingly becomes a permanent host family (24%). But in most cases this is not so. If a temporary host family is pressured into becoming a permanent one, it is fairly easy to see how problems might arise. (USIA study)
Finding a host family that is willing to take a student in for ten months is not a simple task. Rotary has solved this by having the exchange student stay with several host families (approx. 3).
At times the only option available to a new exchange student is being placed with their representative until a family is found. Sometimes the representative becomes the permanent host family. (CSFES finds this highly questionable) Some exchange organizations will then assign you a separate representative to avoid conflict of interest. Sadly, if a conflict occurs, the host country organization will usually side with the representative.
Your host family is your guardian. They are supposed to keep you safe during your stay, make sure you do your homework, give you chores (just like other family members), feed you, set boundaries and make you part of their family unit.
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.
Some exchange organizations are volunteer organizations. In such firms the host family does not get paid no matter where you live. Other exchange organizations pay or do not pay their host family depending on what type of exchange program you choose.
Different countries have different rules. In the US there are both variations based on the type of visa the exchange student has (J-1 vs F-1). In Norway there isn’t a regulation about this, but many of the exchange organizations do not pay their host families.
Most (probably all) exchange organizations have a set of rules they are supposed to follow regarding how they pick who gets to be a host family. The requirements I have seen, set by the firms whose brochures I have looked at, state that they do background checks of the host family. These include:
Variations are huge when it comes to type of host house you will be living in. The country/city/town you travel to will be a deciding factor. Different climates give different needs and so does financial status. However, whether you live in an apartment, house, palace, trailer-home, duplex or on a farm you should expect the following:
Just as the above are minimum standards for what an exchange student can expect of the host-house, there are also things that are supposed to be non-negotiable:
Most exchange students have a good or even great exchange student experience. However, not all brochures state the truth and not all representatives follow organization guidelines. Common problems are:
If you experience any of these (or similar) problems, always tell your parents. Document them (pictures, sms, recordings …) and forward the documentation to your parents. Please contact your representative or have your parents contact the home firm. If your representative does not take you seriously, try to contact your local consulate or an organization like CSFES. I have links to organizations on my home page.
Once you have decided to go for the exchange student life, you need to decide if you should travel with an exchange organization. Some countries, like Japan, give you no choice. No exchange organization = no visa. I don’t know what guidelines most other countries have about this.
Basically, an exchange organization is a travel agency. They organize your plane tickets, the place you stay and the activities you will participate in (i.e. school). The receiving exchange organization is supposed to function as a guardian. Ideally you will be placed in a safe area with a safe host family that, at least, pass the same requirements a foster home would. Schooling should be at an approved (by authorities) institution.
There are three kinds of exchange organizations. Volunteer organizations like Rotary, AFS and YFU base their work on volunteers. Usually, there is a small regional office with permanent staff who earn average salaries.
Non-profit organizations can be a misleading term. Usually the term has to do with saving taxes. If the exchange organization has holding companies in links above it, you aren’t really looking at a non-profit organization but rather a company that utilizes what tax loop-holes there are. Exchange organizations like EF Education, Aspect Foundation, Explorius/Educatius/CETUSA, Forte International Exchange Association/Astar Education, and Heltberg International Education all have holding companies controlling them.
Some of the exchange organization have their own travel agencies and insurance agencies. Erika Travel Insurance belongs to EF Education. Rejsespecialisten is a sister-company to My Education.
For-profit exchange organizations are open about being in the business of making money. I do not know if their representatives get paid more than the non-profit ones (price per student placed) do. In the US, for-profit firms fall into the F-1 student exchange programs category.
In a student exchange situation there are several parties involved. You have parents of the exchange student, the exchange student, exchange organization in the home country, main office in host-country, host-country local representative, host-country school, host-family.
When you sign a contract with your exchange organization at home, you usually authorize them to function as a go-between for you and the partner organization. Most contracts forbid contact between parents and partner organization. In addition, the exchange companies seldom want you to have contact with your child’s school. Nor do they encourage contact with the host-family.
Your child is supposed to communicate with their local representative who is then supposed to bring the matter up the chain until the information eventually reaches the parents. The host-family is supposed to use the same route. However, our experience has been that what the parents are told is not always what the partner organization was told by either student, school or host-parent. We encourage contact between parents and their child, parents and the host parents and in crisis between parents and the school. We also encourage you to keep all contacts documented (emails, sms, recordings of phone calls etc.). Just in case.
Most exchange organizations use the following procedure:
«Listing is neither an endorsement of an organization nor a guarantee of the quality of its programs. In addition, listing by CSIET does not suggest that only listed organizations are legitimate.» (CSIET)
What this means, is that although these firms have paid to be on CSIET’s list over approved firms, CSIET does not take responsibility for having the exchange firms in their «club». However CSIET also state in their application form that:
«If the applicant is found to be in compliance with the Council’s standards, it is accepted for listing. This entitles the applicant to publicize the fact that its programs are conducted in accordance with the published standards. (CSIET)»
The main difference between J-1 programs and F-1 programs is the price. In addition, regulations differ. F-1 programs have fewer regulations guiding them but provide access to practical educations. F-1 programs pay the host-family and schools fees. A student does NOT need to be part of a student exchange program to get their F-1 visa (unlike the J-1 visa). The US Department of State lists its J-1 approved programs here. JVisas@state.gov
PO Box 285, Reedville, VA 22539
Phone: (804) 453-9070
Listing status: Provisional
J-1 students
1617 Brentwood Road Bensalem, PA 19020.
Phone: 267-303-4442
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
1 Lake Bellevue, Ste. 200, Bellevue, WA 98005
Phone: 425-453-2237 or 800-661-2237
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
1828 L Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-833-7522 / Emergency: 1-800-621-9559
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
7242 La Jolla Boulevard, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: 858-455-0302
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
120 Wall St New York, NY 10005 USA
Phone: +1.212.807.8686 / 1-800-876-2376
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
Potential area of conflict: One of AIFS/AYA’s subsidiaries is the insurance company Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), http://www.culturalinsurance.com/
AIFS
1 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905
Phone: (866) 906 2437 / (203) 399 5000
AYA:
1 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905
Phone: 800-322-4678
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
Christian mission
2137 Embassy Drive, Suite 202; Lancaster, PA 17603
Phone: 717-560-2840
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
8201 164th Ave NE, Suite 200, Redmond, WA 98052
Phone: 888-268-1903 / Fax: 925-396-7063
Listing status: Provisional
F-1 Visum
5877 Commerce Street, room 116 , Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Phone: 1-412-567-8617
Listing status: Provisional
F-1 Visum
51 Depot Street, Suite 211, Watertown, CT 06795
Phone: 203-992-2437
Listing Status: Provisional
F-1 Visa
Christian mission
420 N. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: 877-438-9572 / Fax: 719-381-1750
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
9261 Jordan Ave, Chatsworth CA 91311
Phone: 877-385-8425
Listing: Provisional
F-1 Visum
211 Sutter Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: 415-228-8050 / Emergency: 1-800-US-YOUTH
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
228 North Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 949-494 4100 / Emergency: 1-800-333-3802
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
P. O. Box 969
Suite 217 – Suffield Village, 68 Bridge Street, Suffield, CT 06078
Phone: (860) 668-5706
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum/F1 Visum
212 Fitzhugh Street S, Rochester, NY 14608
Phone: 585 872 2916
Listing Status: Full
F-1 Visum
600 California Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: 415-434-1212 or (toll-free) 800-727-4540 / 888.552.9872
AYUSA Germany: info@ayusa-germany.de | John Wilhelm, President
AYUSA Japan: info@ayusajapan.org | Takeshi Yokota, Vice President
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visum
320 SW Stark, Ste. 506, Portland, OR 97204
OR: (503) 294-6488 / WA: (206) 623-7060
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
112 Squire Hill Road, Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: 800-458-8336 / Phone: 201-773-8299
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
521 Herschel Rd; Wichita, KS
Phone: 316-641-0005
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
712 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312-944-2544 or 800-634-4771
746 N. LaSalle Drive, Chicago, IL, 60654
Tel: 312-944-2544 /Toll-free ( in the U.S. ): 866-CCI-0061
Gwen Vitzthum J-1/F-1: gvitzthum@ccigreenheart.org
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum/F1 Visum
CET International / Subsidiary of Explorius Education
110 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: +1.949.940.1140 / Toll-Free: 1.888.423-887
Listing status – Full
F-1 Visa
CETUSA: Council for Educational Travel, USA (CA: C1760860: 1995) / Subsidiary of Explorius Education
678 Front Avenue NW, Suite 091A, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: 616-365-9940 / Toll-Free: 888-238-8721
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
22 Batterymarch St., Boston, MA 02109 USA
Phone: +1 617 292 0035
Listing status: Provisional
F-1 Visa
104 Butterfield Road, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Phone: 415-459-5397 / 1-800-432-4643
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
300 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: 1.800.40.STUDY or 1.207.553.4000 / Fax: 1.207.553.4299
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa / F-1 Visa
Phone: 781-996-0400
Listing Status: Provisional
F1 Visum
GPH: Green Planet Homestays (subsidiary of CIIE) (MA: 001050720: 2011)
gphomestay
1025 Main Street, Floor 3, Waltham, MA, 02451
Phone: 781-996-0429
Address: 161 Harvard Ave. Suite #13A, Allston, MA 02134
Phone: 617-254-1117 / 国语:+86 13701002798
Listing status: Full
F-1 visa
Potential area of conflict: The insurance company EF uses – Erika / Efekta Insurance – is a subsidiary of EF Edcuation.
One Education Street, Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: 617-619-1739 / 800-447-4273
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
6526 Lakecrest Drive, Sachse, TX 75048-5773
Phone: 972-495-3868 or 800-467-8363
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
2601 Ocean Park Blvd., Ste. 322, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 310-450-4624 or 800-321-3738
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
1029 SW Washington Street, Portland, OR 97205
Phone: 503-222-9803 / Toll Free: 877-222-9803
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visum
PSE: Private & Public School F-1 Exchange (OR: 398110-96: 2013) (Subsidiary of ETC)
1029 SW Washington St., Portland, OR 97205
Phone: (503) 222-9803 / Toll free: (877) 222-9803
Listing Status: Provisional (2014/2015 – 2015/2016)
F-1 Visa
855 Pennsylvania Dr, Reno, NV 89503-3311
Phone: 1-800-447-3105 / 775-624-9143
Listing Status: Provisional
J-1 Visa
950 Trade Centre Way, Suite 303, Portage, MI 49002
Phone: 269-629-0532 or Toll Free: 800-942-3524
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum/F1 Visum
7115 Leesburg Pike Suite 217, Falls Church, VA 22043
Phone:703-237-1688
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
755 Baywood Drive, Ste 380, Petaluma, Ca 94954-5511
Phone: 707-559-5800 / 800-216-3223
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
30 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003
Phone: +1 212 439870
Listing Status:Full
J1 Visum
600 N. Rosemead Blvd, Suite 115, Pasadena, CA 91107
Listing Status: Provisional
F-1 Visa
1094 Gordon Combs Road, NW, Marietta, GA 30064
Tollfree: 1-888-246-7863 / Direct: 770-514-7346
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
9841 Airport Blvd, Suite 410, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: 800-310-5386
Listing Status: Full
F-1 Visum
318 Half Day Road Suite 211, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Tel : (847)737-1483 (U.S.)
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
3470 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 850, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: 888-424-4613 (9:00am – 6:00pm EST)
Listing Status: Full
F-1 Visa
5556 Stage Rd., Concord, VA 24538
Phone: 800-832-7913 (USA) / 304-562-4793 /800-344-3566 (USA) / 434-522-8124
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum/F1 Visum
261 Old York Road, Suite 410, Jenkintown, PA 19046
Phone: (+1) 901 US Study (901 877 8839)
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
209 South Water Street; Northfield, MN 55057
Phone: 507-301-3613 / Toll Free Number: 888-266-2921
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa / F-1 Visa
Christian mission
P.O. Box 130, Westfield, NY 14787-0130
Phone: 716-326-7277 / Toll Free: 800-647-8839
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
205 Hopkins Ct; North Wales, PA 19454
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
PO Box 418, 5535 State Route 28N, Newcomb, NY 12852
Phone: 518-582-3341
Listing Status: Provisional (2012/2013 to 2015/2016)
F1 Visum
290 Pennbrook Parkway, Lansdale, PA 18914
Phone: | Toll Free:
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
380 Jackson Street, Ste. 200, St. Paul, MN 55101
Phone: 651-686-0080 / 1-800-622-3553
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum/F1 Visum
496 Reginald Lane; Collegeville, PA 19426
Phone: 610-831-0998
Listing Status: Full
F1 Visum
4530 Union Bay Place NE, Ste. 214, Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: 206-527-0917
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
1415 W. Franklin St., Boise, Idaho 83702 U.S.A.
Phone (208) 345-1021 / Toll Free (888) 976-3977
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
2101 E. Broadway Rd., Suite. 4, Tempe, AZ 85282
Phone: 1-888-996-2326 / (480) 907-7285
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
PAX – Program of Academic Exchange (NH: 149066: 1990)
14 Willet Avenue, Port Chester, NY 10573
Phone: 914-690-1340 / Toll Free: 800-555-6211
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
TLI: The Laurasian Institution (Subsidiary of PLE) (IL: 56206213: 1990)
12345 Lake City Way NE #151, Seattle, WA 98125
Phone: 206-367-2152
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
1400 E. Angela Blvd. Unit 110, South Bend, Indiana 46617
Phone: (888) 966-0752 / Skype: pacificlinkus
Listing Status: Provisional
F1 Visum
700 Barksdale Road, Suite 2, Newark, DE 19711
Phone: 302-273-2009 / Tollfree: 855-344-5515
Listing Status: Provisional
F-1 Visa
32724 State Highway 130, P.O. Box 57, Lone Rock, WI 53556
Phone: 608-583-2412
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
Rotary Districts 5950 and 5960 / North Star Youth Exchange
Rotary California-Nevada District 5190
Rotary Central States Youth Exchange Program (Districts 5580, 6220, 6250, 6270, 6290, 6310, 6330, 6360, 6400, 6420, 6440, 6450, 6460, 6490, 6510, 6540, 6560, and 6580)
Rotary Youth Exchange: Empire State (District 7150, 7120, 7170)
Rotary ESSEX (Eastern States Student Exchange)
Rotary Youth Exchange Florida, Inc. (Districts 6890, 6930, 6940, 6950, 6960, 6970, 6980, and 6990)
Rotary Ohio-Erie Youth Exchange Program (Districts 6380, 6600, 6630, 6670, 6690, 6740, 6780, 7530, 7670, and 7680)
Rotary YES/SCANEX (Districts 5000, 5240, 5260, 5280, 5300, 5320, 5330, 5340, 5420, and 5490)
South Central Rotary Youth Exchange (Districts 5500, 5510, 5520, 5610, 5630, 5650, 5670, 5690, 5710, 5730, 5750, 5770, 5790, 5810, 5830, 5840, 5870, 5890, 5910, 5930, 5970, 6000, 6040, 6060, 6080, 6110, 6150, 6190, 6200, 6760, 6800, 6820, 6840, 6860, and 6880)
Western States Student Exchange, Inc.
Districts 5010, 5020, 5030, 5050, 5060, 5100, 5110, 5130, 5150, 5160, 5170, 5180, 5220, 5230, and 5400
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
1601 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2230, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-462-2200 / Toll-free: 800-407-3314
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
4325 Dick Pond Road, Unit A, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Phone: 843-650-2101 / Tollfree: 800-639-0564
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
ESI: Exchange Service International / Metro NY, Inc. (Subsidiary of SMG) (NJ: 0100193473: 1983)
112 Squire Hill Road, Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: 973-655-0185 / 800-458-8336
Listing Status: Full
F-1 Visa
ISE: International Student Exchange, Inc. (SMG) (CA: C1111847: 1982)
119 Cooper Street, Babylon, NY 11702
Phone: 631-893-4550 / 800.766.4656
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
STS Foundation (NJ: 0100284870: 1986)
100 Main Street, Suite 420, Concord, MA 01742
Phone: 1-800-522-4678
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
STS Global Studies
100 Main Street, Suite 420, Concord, MA 01742
978-451-4554 / Emergencies: 978-451-4554
Listing Status: Full
F-1 Visa
3 Helen Road, Terryville, CT 06786
Phone: 203-525-1231
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
2028 South Highway 53, Suite 3-323, La Grange , KY 40031
Phone: 502-222-1969
Listing Status: Provisional (2012/2013 to 2015/2016)
F-1 Visa
P.O. Box 22863, Hot Springs, AR 71903
Phone: 501.321.2000 / Toll Free: 800.869.8585
Listing Status: Provisional
J-1 Visa
1115 Broadway 10th Floor, New York, NY 10010
Phone: 631-365-0103
Listing Status: Provisional
F-1 Visa
WISE® Foundation
P.O. Box 1332, Dyersburg TN-38025, USA
Phone: 731-287-9948 / 800-264-0948
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visum
207 N Church Ave, Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
Phone: 1.888.282.8269 (Office)
905 M Avenue, Kalona, IA 52247
Phone: 319-656-4590
Listing Status: Full
J1 Visum
641 S Street, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001
Phone:
Listing Status: Full
J-1 Visa
Full Listing: Full compliance with the CSIET Standards.
Provisional Listing reflects the Evaluation Committee’s determination that an organization, during its first or second evaluation, is judged to be in compliance with CSIET standards on the basis of its application materials.
Conditional Listing is issued to organizations that the Accreditation Committee determines are substantially in compliance with the standards but which need improvement in one or more areas.
Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET)