What Happens Inside a YouLEAD Host Family?
What turns a program into a life-changing experience?
At YouLEAD, the answer is simple: people.
And at the very heart of those people are our host families – the ones who transform a few weeks abroad into a feeling of home.
Karen & Lee Shervheim host YouLEAD students since 2022. Photo of 2025 with Valeria and Lizzy, and their lovely big family.
A YouLEAD host family welcomes a student into their home for the duration of the program (typically a few weeks) and offers what matters most:
A safe and supportive environment
Inclusion in everyday family life
Genuine human connection
This doesn’t mean creating a perfect experience.
It means sharing your real one.
Students join you for:
Breakfast conversations before a busy day
Quiet evenings after intense program sessions
Weekend activities, family traditions, or even simple routines
Deep conversations that stay with both of you for years.
Could this be for you?
How the Hosting Experience Works
Hosting is designed to fit into your life – not disrupt it.
Students attend a structured program during the day (weekdays from morning to afternoon), while host families share mornings, evenings, and weekends with them. You’re never alone in the process: the YouLEAD team and host community provide constant support, clear schedules, and coordination.
You can:
Host for the full program (around 5 weeks) or partially
Even host more than one student
Rely on a supportive network of other families
Students come with working English and a strong desire to connect – openness matters more than perfect communication.
Students typically speak Ukrainian or Russian, along with at least a working level of English. Their confidence may vary, but their motivation to communicate and learn is always strong.
Applying to become a host family is simple and does not immediately commit you to anything. After submitting the application form, a member of the YouLEAD team will reach out to guide you through the next steps, answer your questions, and ensure that hosting feels comfortable and right for you.
Many families say the same thing after hosting:
It’s much easier than expected – and far more impactful.
Voices of YouLEAD Host Families 2025
Elisha & Shawn Beattie
“As a family, we love learning about other cultures, so we happily welcomed a student into our home for the last three years. Our time together was filled with stories, laughter, exchanging recipes, and global perspectives. The five weeks are brief, but by the end, you feel like family. This opportunity allowed us to form lifelong bonds with Ukrainian youth.”
Brad & Laura Martens
“Hosting a student through YouLead has been one of the most inspiring experiences our family has had. These young people have lived through the trauma of war, yet they show incredible resilience, optimism, and love for life.
For our son, it’s been especially meaningful – building real relationships and feeling connected to a global community. We don’t just host these kids – they become part of our family.
The host network is incredibly supportive, and through it, we’ve built lasting friendships. Hosting gave us a meaningful way to support Ukrainians – and so much more.”
Karen & Lee Shervheim
“We have a special connection with Ukraine – our daughters were adopted from Kharkiv. Hosting with YouLead made us feel even closer to the country and its people.
When we host students, they become part of our family – cooking, playing games, spending time together. It’s in these simple moments that real connection happens.
One of the best parts is staying in touch and watching them grow. Hosting helps make the world a smaller, kinder, and more understanding place.”
Why Does It Matter?
Many YouLEAD students come from challenging realities, yet they arrive with remarkable strength, ambition, and hope. What truly shapes their experience, however, is not only the program itself but the feeling of being safe, welcomed, and genuinely seen. This is exactly what host families provide – not through grand gestures, but through simple, everyday moments that stay with students long after the program ends.
Become a Host Family!
Maybe you’ve been reading this and thinking: could I do this?
You don’t need a perfect home or perfect timing.Just the willingness to open your door - and your perspective.
Take the first step:
