Your host country staff

Your main contact and closest person to you outside of your host family will be your International Exchange Coordinator (IEC).

Our IECs have been rigorously trained on matching students with host families and supporting students during their exchange year. They typically have five years of experience working with exchange students and many of them have also hosted students.

Your IEC will live locally and will contact you at least once a month to check how you are getting on. He/she will be the first person you meet when you arrive in your host country and will most likely accompany you on your first day of school to help you with registration and to calm your nerves.

The IEC is there to share your concerns, answer your questions and help address your problems. But the IEC would also love to hear about your achievements and celebrate your successes. Each IEC would look after no more than five students at a time, so you can be sure you will get personal attention.

If, however, you cannot contact your IEC, you can also rely on the help of your Regional Co-ordinator. Your RC supervises all students, host families and IECs in your state or area.