Mandela Day Global Expo 2023 t-shirts:
The 2023 Mandela Washington Fellows competed in a t-shirt design contest for Artown. Check out the beautiful designs and help support NNIC. Get your t-shirt today
Become a home host
Bring the world into your home with the exciting hosting opportunities!
Get to know one of our international visitor groups over a one-evening diplomacy dinner or host one to two visitors for a short-term (two- to 14-day) overnight exchange experience. These hosting experiences will broaden your global perspective and connect you to the world.
NNIC recognizes the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion and operates all programs to align with our shared commitment to a culture of excellence, inclusion and accessibility. We are proud to share our diverse Reno community with international visitors through home hosting and dinner hosting. We recognize that the diversity of our community is what makes up the rich fabric of Northern Nevada and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply to host.
Overnight Home Hosting Opportunities
NNIC offers short-term (two to 14 days) youth or professional/adult hosting opportunities that provide a wonderful opportunity for people in our community to get to know visitors from several different countries. Hosting is an amazing way to learn about different cultures and meet international people while giving a visitor your unique perspective on our local community and culture. It is also an excellent way to dip your toes into hosting without committing for a school semester or year. Hosts are also invited to participate in cultural celebrations and activities that allow you to get to know other visitors and hosts.
All NNIC international visitors are engaged in program activities during typical weekday work hours to eliminate the need for most hosts to worry about work schedule conflicts. For most programs, we ask home-hosts to drop off their visitor(s) at a central location each weekday morning and from there, we provide all transportation and food until hosts pick their visitor(s) up at the end of the day's activities. We also ask that home-hosts provide meals for their visitor(s) when they are in a host's home. Hosts typically provide their guests with breakfast, some dinners (on the nights that the visitors don't have an evening cultural activity) and weekend meals.
The Youth Leadership Program with Algeria is a leadership development opportunity for Algerian and American youth, ages 15-17. This cultural and academic exchange takes place every June and July in Reno, Nevada and Washington, DC.
This program employs a highly interactive approach both in workshops and in a range of public and community settings. Through engagement in the activities, youth and adult participants will better understand civic participation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy, and the role that social enterprises play in a community. One of the goals of the program is to provide participants with the skills to complete a required post-program service project in their local communities.
Hosting details:
Participants are 15-17 years old
All youth speak English
Hosting is scheduled to take place for 12 nights in the Summer of 2023, dates TBA
We require a background check (for criminal and sexual offenses) of anyone over 18 living in your home
An NNIC staff member will make an annual home visit that takes place prior to your visitor arriving
All people living in the home will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Youth visitors are required to have their own bed; however, they may share a room with a host-sibling or fellow participant of the same gender
Youth will be engaged in program activities during workdays – hosts drop guests off in the morning and pick them up in the evening. Meals are provided by the program any time visitors are engaged in program activities.
Hosts provide guests with breakfast, some dinners (on the nights that the visitors don't have an evening cultural activity) and weekend meals
Home hosts for SUSI will be asked to host participants in their home over a weekend, for a total of two nights. Families or individuals may host 1-2 Participants may not share a room with a member of the home host family; however, two participants may stay together in one room. If you have questions about hosing or the program, please contact the program coordinator listed for the specific program below.
All visitor groups are hosted for dinner in a local home at least once during their stay in our community. Please see information below about upcoming dinner hosting opportunities.
General dinner hosting details
All participants are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before beginning their program
All people living in the home will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Any dietary restrictions or religious accommodations will be communicated in advance and NNIC can provide guidance
These are informal dinners in your home and opportunities for you to share your culture with our visitors. It could be a pizza night, a taco night, a BBQ dinner or whatever your family would like to share.
To sign up to be a dinner host for one or more of these programs, please fill out the following application form:
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance and enhance peace and security across the African continent. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Young African Leaders Initiative.
Fellows are 25-35 years old, from Sub-Saharan Africa, and speak English
Fellows are specialized in entrepreneurship
Dinner hosting is scheduled to take place four Fridays throughout the program (Dates TBA) (hosts are requested to host a dinner for all four of the dates and provide transportation for their hosted Fellows)
If you are interested in opportunities to network, mentor, or socialize with the Mandela Washington Fellows, please contact Program Specialist Natalie Valenzuela at nvalenzuela@nnic.org.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. Since its inception in 1940, thousands of distinguished individuals have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program, including more than 326 current and former Chiefs of State and Heads of Government, thousands of cabinet-level ministers, and many other distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors. These visits reflect the International Visitors’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
International Visitors may or may not speak English. Non-English speaking visitors will be accompanied by two interpreters
Dinner hosting is scheduled to take place September, and October, November, December 2022 specific dates TBD
Dinner hosting opportunities are constantly being offered and the best way to be in the loop is by getting on our NNIC newsletter, where we send out hosting opportunities monthly.
