It’s vacation time!!!
So are you asking yourself: can I take my student on vacation? Can I make them pay for their share? Who do I need to tell of my plans?
The answers are: yes, yes, and someone within your organizations (IEC, RC, or Program Advisor).
Please do take your student on vacation! Especially if it is within the United States, the more they see of our country the better. If it is outside the country there is a bit of paperwork that needs to be done, especially if they are here on a J-1 Visa (which most high school exchange students use). The J-1 Visa is a one time entry visa so you need to inform your organization about any plans that would take your student out of the country as soon as you can so they can amend the visa, so your student can come back into the USA.
You can ask them to pay their share. Our rule is if we need a bigger space because of the student they get to pay for part of the rental. For example we go to Tybee Island (outside Savannah) regularly and when we take students they pay apart. We usually host two students so we divide the cost of the rental into quarters and then add a bit for food (for the rental) and activities and that is the amount we present to them. Now we try to do this as soon as we know we are going, to give them time to talk to their parents and get any extra funds. Sometimes we speak directly to their parents so there isn’t any confusion, and sometimes we are able to ask about the student getting extra money for a vacation before they even get here. You can decide how you want your student to contribute, if you are fine paying the whole rental and just having them buy their food and souvenirs than that is fine too.
Now, if they can’t afford the vacation you are planning. Either you eat the cost of the extra person or you can leave your student with an organization approved person (preferably their IEC or another host family in the area). The other option is to try for a less expensive vacation, speak with your student and/or their parents and see what is reasonable.
Tell your organization of your plans. It can be as easy as a text to your IEC, “we are going on vacation to Tybee Island, GA on these dates….”. That’s it. Easy peasy.
Now while on vacation, it is good to have some rules in place and make sure you go over them with everyone. Especially if there will be freedom for them to roam without you. No ubers, taxis, buses, or the like; always check in with us; let us know where you will be; be back at this time; no loud music after this time; clean up after yourself; the rules at home apply here; and so forth. We generally have a rough schedule as well, things that need tickets and reservations and such. And of course we take suggestions from them. If they get terribly sea sick we might not do the dolphin tour (or we might split up for it). If they are interested in the local food culture, we might do a food tour or make up our own and pick a bunch of places to try. But they also have to do things we like as well, because it is our vacation too.
Take your students on vacation with you, they are a part of your family now, so treat them as such (just make them pay for stuff haha). Vacation doesn’t need to be extravagant affair, it could just be renting a condo and bumming around the beach/woods/mountains/city/where it is you want to be.