Becoming a host family and welcoming a foreign student into your home is an amazing experience. We have been working with families for many years and they all agree that once you sign up, you’ll never look back! Being a host family will allow you to have a real cultural and language exchange, as well as allowing you to give your student the best possible impression of your home city and country. We would encourage you to sign up today!
Go to www.partnershipinternational.ie/remote-internship/host-family-application/
The security and welfare of our students is paramount to us and so we make sure to carefully check any new host family to ensure their suitability to the programme. Please see the terms and conditions for more information on what is expected.
Home stay accommodation is not the same as staying in a guest house or in a hotel, it is a stay with a friendly welcoming family where students are treated as members of the family and have the opportunity to speak English and interact with a Family.
Students should join in family life as much as possible and behave with respect and courtesy to the host family at all times.
Host families who agree to host students should meet them at the local point of entry to the city (Airport, Train or Bus station).If for whatever reason you cannot meet them personally you are required to pay for a taxi to collect them. Transfers are included in your weekly rate.
Host families will have house rules which they will tell students at the beginning of their stay, these rules will include information on the use of the kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc.
Meals are to be provided by the host family in accordance with normal family life and household routine and should be varied and nutritious.
Breakfast normally consists of cereal, toast and juice, tea/coffee or a warm breakfast
Lunch is a full packed lunch which should be varied and normally consist of substantial sandwiches, a drink, fruit and a snack. This is dependant in whether lunches are pre agreed with partnership International.
Dinner will be the normal family evening meal. We advise students to inform their host families if there are any foods they cannot eat, but in general students are expected to fit into the normal household routine. Please note that students are also entitles to hot meals.
Please remember that students are living with the host family as part of the household and therefore should keep their bedroom clean and help the family clear up after dinner etc.
Families should provide towels, and change bed linen once a week and will also do a student’s laundry once a week.
In Ireland, it is customary to say PLEASE and THANK YOU, when asking for or receiving things, and families maybe offended if you don’t use these polite terms.
Students should have access to have one shower a day in the host family, but should be careful of the time they spend in the bathroom and the amount of hot water they use as homes are often busy, and students should be aware of other’s needs. It is also normal to clean the bath/shower/wash basin after each use.
Students should respect the use of communal areas including the living room, TV room and must not take over any space that is normally shared by other members of the family.
Should a student damage or break any item, their parents will be asked to compensate the family where appropriate, (in certain instances household insurance may cover some of the cost).
**Partnership International takes no responsibility for any such damage.
Smoking is not allowed in the family home, unless the family state differently. Students under 18 years of age or those attending school / summer programmes are not allowed to consume alcohol, whether it is inside the home or outside the home and should not enter pubs. This is regardless of what is permitted in their own homes or home countries.
Students must ask permission to make out going telephone calls from the host family home. Students should ask their own families/friends to call their host family house at a reasonable time and limit the length of call.
Going to School or work and Coming Home. Students can take a bus and use their bus and rail pass.
Families are only expected to help students find the school on the first day and will not drive students to school or collect them after school.
Students need to fit into the family routine, in some families parents work and will not be home before 5pm, junior students should check this with the family.
If a family, for any reason, will not be at home with the students in the evening, or are away for the night, the school should be informed and the family should arrange for a responsible adult minder for the student. In no circumstances should a student be left to look after themselves, regardless of the freedoms they have in their own country. This is in order to protect the student, the family and the family home. Students attending a youth programme/under 18 years of age, should not stay out overnight unless Partnership International receives written notification with parental permission in advance.
It is up to the discretion of the host family whether they give students a key to the home.
We advise parents of junior students pre departure to set their own limitations and not allow them to leave the local area during this time. Students are not permitted to go to the city centre at night, or attend discos/other such events not arranged by Partnership International. During their free time (evenings/Sundays) parents should note that juniors don’t take part in organized activities and need to have been given limitations/rules etc. by their own parents to ensure their own safety.
Sunday is a day where students can choose to spend the day with their host family or with friends.
All students attending a Youth Programme must be home no later than 10pm each night. It is the host family’s responsibility to ensure that students are home and safe by 10pm, if a student is not home, the host family must inform the school by using the emergency phone number. Students who disobey this curfew rule will be expelled.
Students attending an Adult programme should inform host family of any late night home arrivals.
Host families should deal with any emergencies in the same way they would with a member of their own family. This may require phoning the police/ambulance or doctor.
Partnership International should be informed of any such emergencies. European Students should have a European Medical Insurance card with them, this will cover both hospital and private practice visits and some prescriptions.
Students from outside the EU should arrange private medical insurance for the duration of their stay. All medical costs and associated costs should be covered by the student where insurance does not cover costs. Students should have sufficient funds to cover necessary visits to doctors/dentists etc.
While it is unlikely that you have any problems during a home stay, here are some recommendations in the event of a problem:
First of all talk and discuss any problem and try to find a solution between student and host family
If the problem continues or you feel you cannot deal with the situation email info@192.168.1.4 with a full report (we need all reports in writing as to report back to our international partners) and we will call back to offer advice.
It is important to look at any problem from both perspectives to find a solution. In the event that either the Host family or the Student is unhappy with the arrangement, Partnership International will where possible & appropriate place the student in alternative accommodation.
Please note: We have policies in place to ensure that host families are of a proper standard and we receive feedback from students on each host family stay, this feedback along with an inspection by our host family coordinator allows us recommend families to students. Partnership International accepts no responsibility for any instances occurring during the home stay for damage or loss incurred etc.
Departure: Families are expected to bring their students back to the airport, Bus or Train station in good time for their flight, bus or train departure.
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This experience have been really positive for me. I have learned how to live independently, how to value a lot of things (a job, a weekend, to do the shopping, to save money, to spend money in a responsible way, etc.). I also have demonstrated to myself that I am a professional and that I enjoy teaching a lot. Now I know that I am qualified to be a teacher in a different country with a different language. I recommend this programme for everybody because it is fantastic!
Réaliser un stage à Cork a été une opportunité extraordinaire pour booster ma future carrière! Le stage répondait à mes attentes de A à Z, j’ai eu l’occasion de travailler au sein d’une équipe dynamique, et j’ai énormément appris, aussi bien d’un point de vue professionnel que personnel. De plus, l’Irlande est un pays magnifique, il est impossible de ne pas tomber sous son charme! Si j’ai un conseil à vous donner, c’est de faire confiance à Partnership International pour votre stage à l’étranger!
With my internship, organised by Partnership International, I got to visit many different Irish companies and was involved with introducing international students to them. I was also involved with inductions and orientations for foreign students. My work also included office administration. My colleagues were really nice so the working experience was very good. And I got to see a bit of Ireland while there. I’ve been to the Cliffs of Moher, a whiskey distillery, a falconry and many places more. So, overall it was a great experience and I would totally recommend it!
First of all, I really love Cork! The people are very nice and friendly. My placement was with a very cool and friendly company as well. I enjoyed the time with my cool colleagues and boss! My work was familiar to me because I translated documents like I am learning in Germany. I would recommend an internship in Cork for every student because it is worth it. You improve your language skills and learn the culture. The Irish accent is also very cool but funny as well! So, I really enjoyed my time here. Thank you Partnership International!
So after all, I have to say it was an absolutely great opportunity to get to know a new country/city, people and to make an intercultural experience. I am lucky that Partnership International organised everything so well and that they were hands-on to their students the entire trip. Thanks very much for everything and keep doing what you are doing! It will definitely not be my last time in Ireland and you helped me to open new ways! Cheers!
Me ha gustado mucho realizar unas prácticas de 3 meses en Cork. De hecho, voy a quedarme aquí otros 3 meses más (¡la empresa donde hice las prácticas me ha contratado!). La ciudad es muy agradable y todo el mundo es muy atento, amable y con una mente muy abierta. Lo peor, como español, es el tiempo y los precios. Mi inglés ha mejorado mucho y he viajado por esta magnífica isla, así que creo que esta experiencia ha sido perfecta. Tomé una gran decisión al animarme a hacer las prácticas con Partnership International. La bienvenida tanto de Partnership como de la empresa fueron excelentes.
My internship has given me the opportunity to learn a lot and to improve my professional skills in a foreign language. It was a great opportunity for me to gain practical skills and work within a professional team. The lessons I learned as an intern are still with me today and I’m thankful to all the team of Partnership International who were a real pleasure to deal with. I would recommend an experience like this to everyone.