Bring the world to your own hometown
Lisa Murphy is building a team of Area Representatives across Michigan — local people who find host families in the towns they already know. It is flexible, paid, and you work from home on your own schedule. Most of our reps started out as host families themselves.
What an Area Representative does
Officially it is called an Area Representative — other programs call it a Local Coordinator. In plain terms: you are the person on the ground who connects students, families, and schools in your corner of Michigan, and stays with them all year.
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Find and screen host families
This is the heart of the job. You talk with families in your community about hosting, walk them through what it involves, visit their home, and help them through the screening and background-check process. Word of mouth, your church, your school, your neighbors — the families are already around you.
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Work with the local high school
You contact schools in your area to secure acceptance for exchange students, and stay in touch with counselors through the year. Most Michigan schools already know the program; you become their point of contact.
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Match students with the right family
You read student profiles and think about who fits where — the soccer player with the sports family, the quiet reader with the calm household. Getting this right is what makes a year work.
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Support both sides all year
Federal rules require ongoing contact: in-person visits and at least monthly personal contact with each student and their host family. In practice it means checking in, catching small problems before they grow, and being the person both sides call.
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Run orientations and stay trained
You help run host family and student orientations, complete U.S. Department of State certification, and take refresher training each year. Lisa trains you and is on the other end of the phone the whole time.
A paid, flexible role — on your own terms
Area Representatives are independent contractors paid for the placements they make and the students they support, with additional incentives through the year. How much you earn is genuinely up to how much you take on.
Lisa will go through the numbers with you directly
Rates, incentives, and what a realistic first year actually looks like are all things she would rather explain properly than post on a web page. Ask her anything on the call — she will give you the honest picture before you commit to a thing.
The people who thrive in this role
There is no single background. What every good rep has in common is that they know people in their town, and people trust them.
Teachers & retired educators
You already know the schools, the counselors, and how teenagers work. This is the most natural fit there is.
Empty nesters & retirees
Decades of community roots, a flexible calendar, and the patience that makes families comfortable saying yes.
Stay-at-home parents
Work around your own kids’ schedule, from your kitchen table, in the hours that suit you.
Former host families
You have lived the year. Nobody sells hosting better than someone who can say “we did this, and here is what it was really like.”
What you need to qualify
Most of this is set by the U.S. Department of State, which regulates the J-1 exchange visitor program. It is straightforward, and Lisa helps you through all of it.
- At least 25 years old. This is a federal requirement for the role, not an ISE preference.
- Authorized to work in the U.S. and living in the Michigan community you would serve.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation. Home visits and school meetings mean real miles.
- Annual criminal background check, including the national sex offender registry. Required every year, for everyone.
- Department of State certification and annual refresher training. Provided — you do not arrange it yourself.
- Internet access and a phone. The paperwork and student profiles all live online.
- Experience with teenagers helps — teaching, coaching, youth ministry, or simply raising your own.
Michigan towns looking for a local rep
Lisa covers the whole state and needs people on the ground everywhere — especially outside the big metros, where a familiar face matters most.
Do not see your area? That is usually good news — it means it is open.
Start with a conversation
Tell Lisa a little about yourself and your community. She will call you, walk you through the role in full, and answer everything before you commit to anything.
Prefer to talk first? Call or text Lisa at 989-954-4023.
Before you ask Lisa
Is this a job or contract work?
Contract work. You are an independent contractor rather than an hourly or salaried employee, which is what makes the schedule genuinely yours. Lisa covers how payment works when you speak.
How much time does it really take?
It flexes with how much you take on. Recruiting season (spring and summer) is the busiest; during the school year it is mostly check-in visits and phone calls. Reps describe it as anywhere from a few hours a week to a second career.
Do I have to host a student myself?
No. Many reps do host at some point, and it certainly helps you speak from experience, but it is not required.
What if I have never done anything like this?
Most reps hadn't. Lisa trains you, goes with you to your first family visits if you want, and the Department of State certification walks through the rules. Caring about people matters more than a resume.
Can I do this alongside another job?
Yes — most reps do. School visits usually need daytime hours, but family conversations happen on evenings and weekends anyway, which is when families are home.