Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG Intl.) in Kalamazoo
Site: http://www.flag-intl.org/
- Monday:8AM–4PM
- Tuesday:8AM–4PM
- Wednesday:8AM–4PM
- Thursday:8AM–4PM
- Friday:8AM–4PM
- Saturday:Closed
- Sunday:Closed
FLAG Intl has been a great company for exchange students, host families, and international partners! Would recommend FLAG to anyone looking to get involved in the world of student exchange!
We have hosted several exchange students through FLAG. These students will forever be a part of our family. Our Local Coordinator supported us when there were a few issues and helped us to work through them.Updated 5/18/2022 - One of our former exchange students just surprised us by coming for a visit. Were hosting again this year and will host next year too. The connection we have with our students is amazing. Im so grateful to FLAG for bringing these students into my family.
They helped to make my exchange year as perfect as possible! Always quick to help and always ready to listen to whatever I needed to get off my chest. I would definitely recommend them!
My family has hosted students through FLAG for the past nine years and it has had an enormous impact on my life. FLAG is committed to helping both students and families to have the best possible experience. Im very grateful for the experience of both hosting students from FLAG and getting to go on an exchange with them; both experiences changed me for the better. It means the world to me to be able to have exchange siblings throughout the world.
We have hosted 4 times and had amazing experiences with many students in our area. Love the support of the staff and whole organization!
Had an amazing experience living in America, however had a terrible time with the people of flag, and the host familys they paired me with. Im in a group chat with the other students who were part of the 2020 programme and they all agree that flag were awful to deal with throughout the process in dealing with the issues we faced. They canceled our orientation in Washington yet never refunded us the money. Going on a foreign exchange is a fantastic thing to do and was one of the best experiences of my life, but if you want to do this find another company to do it through.
Deciding to host an exchange student for the school year was a wonderful, life-changing decision for my husband and I. Working with FLAG and our local contact was easy and they were always available if we ever needed guidance or assistance. We hosted a young German girl who quickly became part of our family. We are in our 30s with no children and feel this experience really filled an unknown gap in our lives and gave us the daughter we never knew we wanted. We keep in touch weekly even 2 years later, shes even visited and we plan to visit her when we can. Our student has also expressed how wonderful her time spent in a new and very different place (rural Vermont) was and the experience really helped her grow and understand who she wants to be. I would highly recommend working with FLAG and hosting an exchange student, it is an awesome experience!
The experience of hosting two foreign exchange students has been amazing. Getting to know their culture and them learning ours has been fun and interesting. The most satisfying part is they become your family. The support you receive from the company is very professional and they are very knowledgeable. Whenever we had an issue or needed some advice, they were there to help. If youre looking into hosting, I highly recommend going through FLAG.
We worked with FLAG as a host family in 2019. They were fantastic to work with! We felt very supported as a host family, and also felt that they did a great job in preparing the exchange students for their experience. It is a well run organization. Would highly recommend.
I have met the most amazing students and host families through FLAG. This unique mission really does create international connections that help bring our world to a better understanding of cultures.
My family is eternally grateful to the FLAG program for connecting us with our fantastic exchange student from Brazil. The program helped prepare us and make the most of our time with her as well as support us and her once she arrived in the US. This experience has been nothing short of life changing and brought our family even closer together. We are so thrilled with the experience and the memories we’re creating. Thank you, FLAG!
FLAG is an awesome company, I have been a host parent to several children and it has changed my life. I love meeting these kids and sharing American culture with them. I also work as a Local Coordinator with them now too and they are an awesome company to work for!!!
Would not recommend. They could not care less about their exchange students. Not worth the money. There was no proper communication. Rude, arrogant people. Stay away from this organization.
FLAG is an outstanding non-profit organization with an awesome mission! In 2013 we hosted a student from Germany and in 2014 we hosted a student from Russia. My family had the best experience hosting these exchange students through FLAG and we give them our highest recommendation!!! In fact, we are looking to host a foreign student next year and we certainly be contacting FLAG once again.
FLAG allowed us to host an amazing student who will now be part of our family forever. The support they offer to prepare us for our student’s arrival and than throughout the year was amazing and so helpful. If you have the chance to host choose FLAG.
At first I was unsure of hosting someone from another country. Flag was supportive the entire way, with how they are set up from the Local Coordinators to their managers and working with orginizations around the world. They do their best to assign like minded teens to their host families. We were able to host an amazing young girl and watch her grow through the new experiences. Not to mention the growth in my life and my families life. I cant wait till our next teen comes, this family is excited to see whats to come.
I have had the privileged to host a foreign exchange student through FLAG 2 years in a row. It has been a terrific experience for my whole family! We have 2 international daughters now :)FLAG offered amazing support throughout our exchange journey and opened our eyes to a whole new world through cultural exchange.
I began working as a Local Coordinator for FLAG 2 years ago. While I have only had the opportunity to work with 2 exchange students so far, seeing the impact the experiences made available to them through FLAG had not only on the students, but on the host family as well was truly remarkable.
I have been a local coordinator for FLAG since last July and have been able to see the amazing bond between a host family and their exchange student. I am honored to be a part of global diplomacy through building friendships around the world!
I have never worked with a group of people that care so much for students, host families, schools and natural parents. We hosted a boy from China Jack Zhu. While the culture was quite different, we got along well and learned a lot from him. I recommend FLAG not only because we have hosted but because Ive known the people in the company for the past 15 years of my life and they are professionals who look at all things from both sides. Im now a professional myself and will take the things Ive witnessed into my job and future.
Our exchange student was very disrespectful, came into our home and completely destroyed it. Our children were terrified of the student. We had numerous occations where the student had got in our face and pushed the kids. FLAG did nothing! We no longer would host this student. We now, after not having her in our home for 2 months are receiving her medical bills. FLAG will not answer our calls or help us get this bill taken care of occured by this student. FLAG is not helpful or responsive at all! I would steer clear from them!
They drill ALL the rules into the host familys minds, which they follow, but when an inconsiderate, ungrateful student does NOT follow the rules repeatedly, the organization sides with the student and allows them to stay in the program😡 Find an organization that practices what they preach!! And hope that the local coordinator doesnt get too chummy with the students instead of being an authorative figure, that doesnt try to outdo the host family with outings and gifts all the time.
We have loved the host experience-we have hosted 7 different students from a variety of countries. I love what it has taught my family about culture, differences, and loving more.
We have been blessed beyond measure with our choice to host an exchange student from Germany. She has been an absolute blessing and we look forward to hosting again in the future.
Teck Lau in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur with cloudy skies after 40 days of lockdown.
Great Organization! Would highly recommend!
Theyre on top of the ball. Theyve proven to be a team of dedicated professionals that always come through for the students. I recommend them wholeheartedly.
Great organisation, professional team, can only recommend them! Special requests, personal approach, great service. Long history, experienced team and always there to help. Thank you!
Well structured student support system. Friendly caring staff.
Both good and bad experiences , but good experience when it runs smoothly.
Best organization ever!
Very nice and professional !
Unethical organization
Total reviews rating 4.7
43 Reviews for Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG Intl.) 2023:
Review №1
2022-05-19Weve hosted two years. The first was cut slightly short by Covid and the last was this year 2021-2022. Flag has been on top of things and weve never felt out of our depth. The local coordinators started something this year where they took all of their students on a road trip to the the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns etc.. This was a ton of work for these guys and completely not required by their superiors. They had exchange students from 5 or 6 different countries in two vans and my kids (we hosted two Asian students) loved it. I highly recommend this program if youre thinking about hosting - AND YOU SHOULD BE HOSTING.
Review №2
2022-05-19I went to Germany 9 years ago through FLAG and had an incredible experience! Since then, my family has hosted 8 exchange students from all over the world and both my mom and I have worked with them for several years. FLAG is a reputable company that I’d recommend on all fronts (hosting, working or going on exchange with) to anyone! (Picture of Elidh, our most recent student with my newborn son)
Review №3
2022-05-18After taking a hiatus for two years, our family was finally able to host again. FLAG is such a supportive and wonderful organization. Our student is a dream come true and we couldnt be happier with our Local Coordinator. Anyone who is considering hosting a student should definitely go with FLAG!
Review №4
2022-05-20We have hosted 5 students over 4 years and have loved every single experience. The FLAG coordinators work so closely with us and the students to ensure there are no difficulties, which seems to be unique. Other organizations do not provide the same level of attention!!!
Review №5
2022-05-25Having hosted 9 students (4 with FLAG) I can say that not all organizations are equal. Their small by design approach makes the experience more personal. The local coordinators are there for you when things come up. The staff is all in for the students and host families, and you can tell they have everyones best interest at heart. We have made lasting relationships with our kids, who really have become family.... and Ive loved the mission and the organization so much that I had to be a part of the team.
Review №6
2022-05-18Hosting an exchange student is such an incredible experience! I met my exchange sister from Germany 12 years ago and we are still in touch regularly. She taught my family and I so much about her culture and without her I wouldn’t have had the same experience traveling through Europe as I did when I finally had a chance to visit her, her family and friends. We’ll always be sisters and I will always be grateful my parents chose to host.
Review №7
2022-05-18Want to increase world diplomacy? Hosting a student through FLAG is one of the best choices that you can make. In the words of William Durant, What better way is there to make people love one another than to make people understand one another? Inviting an exchange student into your home is a way to make certain that warm memories of one another will never be forgotten.
Review №8
2022-05-23FLAG is the top pick of organizations to work with, hands down. I have hosted through them twice now and their support structure is impeccable! We thoroughly enjoyed our hosting experience and would highly recommend FLAG to anyone!
Review №9
2022-05-18We have hosted three times with FLAG and enjoyed every minute of it. You are assigned a local coordinator who is with you every step of the way. This company goes above and beyond for their students.
Review №10
2022-05-19We just hosted an exchange student & it was a wonderful experience!! Ronnie was so helpful thru all of the paperwork & getting all of the different questions answered & other things taken care of for us. Our student has had a fantastic time & is even staying 2 weeks longer!! Our family has learned a lot of things about our country as well as things around the world