Frequently Asked Questions

This is a part time position. Area Coordinators are independent contractors who manage their own work schedules.

Area Coordinators (ACs) receive compensation for each student they place and/or monitor. Compensation depends on the length and type of program the AC supervises. Please contact NWSE for specific information.   Besides student placements, ACs may qualify to attend and participate in the NWSE annual conference.

Payments are direct-deposited into Area Coordinators' bank accounts on a monthly basis over the academic semester or year, depending on the length of the student’s program.

Area Coordinators are independent contractors who determine their own work schedules. Total time spent depends primarily on the number of students you supervise, how many host families you recruit and informal cultural activities you may organize.

There may be as many ways of finding host families as there are stars in the sky. However, some are much more effective than others. NWSE provides a list of proven approaches for host family recruitment that you are free to use. Great Area Coordinators also rely on their own ingenuity, networking with friends, acquaintances and other contacts in their communities.

The US Department of State (and of course NWSE) allows Area Coordinators to recruit host families within a 120 mile radius of their home.

The U.S. Department of State authorizes exchange organizations, via an arduous “designation” process, to organize and manage cultural exchange programs for J-1 international exchange students visiting the USA. NorthWest Student Exchange closely follows the Department’s regulations.

The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, CSIET, oversees and markets qualified exchange organizations that follow CSIET's Standards to school districts around the USA. NorthWest Student Exchange closely follows CSIET standards.