Harmony Homestay and Travel

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Harmony Homestay and Travel

Harmony Homestay and Travel Building global relationships 🏡 To apply as a host family for an international homestay student, visit our website at harmonyhomestay.com

Since 2008, Harmony Homestay has been working with school districts across the Lower Mainland to connect bright, global students from all around the world with warm and compassionate host families. Through the years, we’ve watched our students and families create long-lasting experiences and build global relationships that extend far beyond their stay in Canada. Based in Surrey, British Columbia,

we offer a variety of services for international students and visitors, including homestay placement, custodianship and mentorship programs, support with school district applications, and travel assistance.

02/13/2025

🌍✨ **Exciting News from Harmony Homestay!** ✨🌍

At Harmony Homestay, we are committed to creating a safe, supportive, and welcoming experience for every student. We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with **StudyInsured** to provide international students with access to the **Stay Healthy at School Program**! 💙🏫

Lead happier, healthier lives with our Stay Healthy at School program. We offer a holistic approach to mental health, with professional help available – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – for any issue.

It includes access to a toll-free phone line and confidential counselling in over 100 languages.

02/11/2025

🌎✈️ Thunder Bay or Vancouver? International Students Love Both! 🏔️🌊

From Sleeping Giant to Stanley Park, both cities offer amazing experiences!

💙 Thunder Bay – Cozy, affordable, and outdoor adventures! ❄️🏕️
💚 Vancouver – Bustling, diverse, and next to the ocean! 🌆🌊

No matter the city, Harmony Homestay provides safe, welcoming homes for students.

01/31/2025

🙏 We thank all our compassionate and caring host families for their dedication over the past year.

Harmony Homestay couldn't offer homestays in Canada without your help. Over the years, you've created safe spaces for students to live and study in Canada and experience everything our great country offers.

👉 If you know a family in the Lower Mainland or Thunder Bay who would make a great homestay host family, send them to Harmony Homestay!

01/29/2025

Where are you from? 🌍

Harmony homestay students come from all over the globe! They are welcomed into families throughout BC and Ontario to learn more about Canada and even themselves.

01/27/2025

🌍 Travelling the world is a wonderfully educational experience.

Make the most of your homestay experience in Canada by:
✅ Trying new things
✅ Being curious
✅ Ask questions if you are unsure
✅ Participating in new traditions and celebrations

01/24/2025

🎂 What are your favourite traditions?

A fun part of travel is experiencing new cultural and family traditions.

What traditions and Canadian cultural experiences can you share with your international student:
🔴 Enjoying beavertails or poutine
🔴 "Paying it forward" at the drive-through
🔴 Watching hockey or lacrosse with friends
🔴 Participating in indigenous ceremonies and traditions
🔴 Giving thank you cards to friends and family

01/22/2025

❤️ February is coming soon. What's on your calendar?

Here are some events and happenings around the Lower Mainland next month:
👉 Family Day holiday (Feb 17)
👉 Dine Out Vancouver Festival (Jan 22-Feb 9)
👉 Lights at Lafarge Lake (until end of Feb)
👉 Ice skating at the The Shipyards District , North Vancouver
👉 Watch a hockey game

01/20/2025

🌙 In Canada, it often gets dark around 4:00 to 5:00 pm in winter. How do you spend your dark winter evenings with your host family?

👉 Drinking hot beverages by the fire?
👉 Curling up with a warm blanket and a good book?
👉 Getting a head start on your homework?
👉 Bonding with your host family?

Does this sound like an ideal evening? Learn more about coming to Canada for an international student homestay: https://harmonyhomestay.com/students

01/17/2025

🥶 Is this your first Canadian winter? You must be wondering what to pack?

Many international students tend to over (or under) pack for winter, but here are our top five winter essentials for Canadian winters:

🔴 1 jacket with layers (wool + down + parka or winter jacket)
🔴 A reusable coffee mug (to cut down on single-use plastics for your hot beverages)
🔴 Waterproof boots
🔴 Warm gloves and a scarf
🔴 Compressable packing cubes (to compress your bulky winter gear for travel)

01/15/2025

❄️ There are many fun ways to spend winter in Thunder Bay, Ontario!

How many of these activities can you check off your list this month:
✅ Browse artisan goods at Goods & Co. Market
✅ Fat biking on the local snow trails
✅ Dog sledding
✅ Voyageur Winter Carnival
✅ Ice fishing
✅ Grab a locally roasted coffee or fresh, hot cocoa
✅ Visit the Thunder Bay Centennial Botanical Conservatory

01/10/2025

🤔 Are you struggling to bond with your homestay student?

If one or both of you are feeling disconnected, try some of these engaging, bonding activities:

✅ Trade recipes and bake each other's favorites
✅ Enjoy time exploring the great outdoors
✅ Attend a local festival or celebration
✅ Volunteer for a local community group
✅ Learn something new together

01/08/2025

✈️ Travelling to a new country and staying with a new family can be scary for a student

Here are our top 4 tips to help your international student feel comfortable in your home:

1️⃣ Create a welcome package with practical (and fun) goodies and snacks
2️⃣ Include them in your regular family activities (and chores)
3️⃣ Maintain open communication (this goes both ways)
4️⃣ Encourage reciprocal knowledge sharing and curiosity

01/08/2025

Thunder Bay!! We have a furry friend looking for his forever home. One of our host families is fostering Trigger. He’s an amazing young dog who has adapted well to the foster home that has dogs, cats and older kids. The foster home Can not keep him for a long time and he’s such a loving guy. Please share and if your interesting in opening your home and heart to love him please contact the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society. If you aren’t his forever family please share to help us find them!!

01/07/2025

👉 Are you an international student planning a trip to Canada in 2025?

Here are our top five travel tips for your upcoming Canada homestay:

✅ Enjoy local cuisine and culture (you may discover a new favourite treat)
✅ Take advantage of stat holidays and long weekends (to explore beyond your immediate community)
✅ Bring clothes for all weather (while Canada never gets extremely hot or cold, prepare for both extremes, especially for longer homestays)
✅ Plan to experience Indigenous culture (Indigenous cultures are of great importance to Canadians, so look for opportunities to immerse yourself in their unique culture during your stay)
✅ Learn about the Canadian tipping culture (it's typical to tip for food service and other personal services, so budget accordingly)

01/03/2025

❤️ It warms our hearts to hear from our homestay families!

Karen and George recently shared this testimonial with us.

We love connecting those like the Paille family with eager, friendly international students... and that they still keep in touch!

01/02/2025

🌏 Hosting an international student in your home can be an enriching experience for your entire family.

Some common experiences and learnings our homestay host families have experienced with their students include:
👉 Learning about and tasting new foods
👉 Experiencing new celebrations and cultural observances that their students practice
👉 Learning about their community through the eyes of their student experiencing it for the first time
👉 Improving their communication skills

Your homestay experience is what you make of it. Put in the effort to get to know your student and their culture, and you'll be better for it.❤️

01/01/2025

🎉 Happy New Year to all of our Harmony Homestay host families and students!

We hope your year starts with health, positivity, and more memorable experiences together.

👉 To make the most of 2025, we encourage you to create New Year's Resolutions. Think of your New Year's resolutions as items you'd like to complete during your Homestay experience.

For host families, perhaps you want to:
🔴 Show your student something new in your community?
🔴 Learn something new about your student's culture and home?
🔴 Sign up to welcome the next international student into your home?

For international students maybe you want to:
🔴 Try a new skill, hobby, or sport?
🔴 Join a community group or club?
🔴 Visit a new area or community that you haven't visited yet?

Do you have a different New Year's resolution for 2025? Share it with us in the comments below. 👇

12/31/2024

👉 Happy New Year from Harmony Homestay! 🥳

We hope your 2024 was filled with new experiences, joy, and health.

Thank you to all students and host families who began or continued their journey with Harmony. We’re honoured that you chose us for this adventure.

Have a fun and safe New Year's Eve, and we'll see you in 2025!

#2024 #2025

Address

Email: Info@harmonyhomestay. Com
Surrey, BC

Website

http://www.harmonyhomestay.com/

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Another special moment from #Spain, this time with Language Kingdom —one of #HarmonyHomestay’s major partners! Alissa had the privilege of meeting with our incredible friends there, strengthening our partnership and discussing exciting new ways to enhance the #studentexperience. 🌟 #LanguageKingdom has been a key partner in bringing students and cultures together, and we’re thrilled to continue this journey of growth together. Cheers to creating more life-changing experiences for our students! 🥂💼 #InternationalEducation #StrongerTogether #StudyInCanada #GlobalConnections #SpainAdventures

In July, our BC hosts welcomed a group of students from Spain eager to experience a true Canadian summer. During their short stay, these students had the opportunity to explore everything Vancouver has to offer—from enjoying nature to discovering the vibrant city life. It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye, but we’re grateful to the hosts who opened their doors and shared such a wonderful experience with our Spanish guests. 🤔 If you're interested in hosting a student, apply today for one of the last few fall 2024 spots! https://harmonyhomestay.com/host-families/ ⭐️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven’t done so already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e01GWHV0Ovs&ab_channel=HarmonyHomestayStudentDirector #homestayfamily #becomeahostfamily #hostfamily #internationalstudents #homestaystudents

Hey Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, RSVP here to join us at our FREE virtual info session July 18th, 3:00 PM PST: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/harmony-homestay-host-family-qa-and-info-sessions-tickets-793779575077 We'll go into detail about the homestay experience and cover: The benefits of becoming a host family The application process Real stories from current host families Q&A session to address all your questions #infosession #thunderbayhosts #hostfamilies #q&a #internationalstudents

Hey Thunder Bay! RSVP here to join us at our FREE virtual info session July 18th, 6:00 PM EST: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/harmony-homestay-host-family-qa-and-info-sessions-tickets-793779575077 Learn about the homestay experience and get all your questions answered by Harmony Homestay owner, Amanda Carrasco! #infosession #thunderbayhosts #hostfamilies #q&a #internationalstudents

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Our Story

For international students wanting to study in the Metro Vancouver Area and Thunder Bay Ontario we offer agent services to assist with the application process. We also offer custodianship within the lower mainland and homestay placement. We are always on the lookout for more host families. If you want to be a host family please fill out our application form on our website If you are a student please email us at [email protected]