An Experience

Supper Club is an opportunity to expand your cross-cultural knowledge, make new friends, and have fun. You can experience what a home in the United States feels and looks like. Local hosts have offered to invite international students into their home for a meal once a month. You and 1-3 other students will be paired with a host home for the entire semester. You and all the other supper club members will meet your hosts at the Kick-Off event held at a local church, then you will have three meals (one per month) in your host’s home.

Expectations

  • Students must attend Kick-Off event to participate in Supper Club.
  • Students will continue involvement by attending the 3 in-home meals on the designated dates.
  • Students are responsible to find transportation to their host home.
  • Communication back and forth between host and students is required before each meal.
  • Students who cancel the whole semester after signing up forfeit the privilege to participate the following semester. Students who miss 2 or more dinners forfeit the privilege to participate the following semester.

Important Dates

Kick-Off:
Saturday, Sept 14, 4:00-6:00pm at Church of the Good Shepherd 

In-home meals*:
Meal 1 Weekend of Sept 20-22
Meal 2 Weekend of Oct 18-20
Meal 3 Weekend of Nov 15-17

*Your Supper Club group will arrange an exact date/time for each of the three meals. We have these date ranges to help you and the hosts with scheduling your future calendar.

Register Here

What Are Others Saying About Supper Club?

Testimonials
My experience with the Supper Club is absolutely awesome! Our host D & A are the best host I can imagine. They always make us feel so comfortable and the time we spent together is the best memory of my stay at US.
Host prepared meat tacos for us and we brought traditional Hotpot to them. It is a good experience to share delicious foods from different countries and know different food- and life- cultures. During the dinner course we met many new friends and listened to their interesting stories and were deeply touched by host’s goodness and hospitality. Thanks for their kind helps.
[My hosts] cooked for me Peruvian food, it was an awesome surprise for me, I did not expect anything and they just did it. They shared me a lot of their lives and family, even about their sons who are not in NC.
I loved bonding with the family. we played games…I always looked forward to this. We also had a pizza making night, that was pretty cool too. Learning about the american culture in a safe space and being able to ask questions and get genuine answers.
I like food, table games and having fun with my host family! Such a nice experience!
We exchanged a lot of stories and had delicious mexican food.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens at the Kick-Off?

This will be a gathering of all students and hosts involved in Supper club for the semester. You will meet your hosts and the 1-3 other students in your host home, and have a time and space to get to know each other.  

What happens at an in-home meal?

Expect a meaningful cultural exchange among you, the other international students, and your hosts. You will not only learn about other cultures, but you will get to share from your own experience. Each host home may look a little different but generally, you will share a meal together while talking and getting to know one another. We hope that over the course of the semester you will find new friends and feel cared for. See also Being a Good Guest FAQ.

What time of day are the in-home meals?

Typically the meal is dinner, but it could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your host will give you the exact time when you meet and communicate with them. Expect to spend around 2-3 hours at your host's home.

Who are the hosts?

A host home can look different. It could be a married couple, it could be a family with children, it could be roommates, or it could be two or three friends. Hosts are local volunteers in the Durham (and surrounding) area who love serving and hosting internationals in their homes. They consider themselves followers of Jesus and attend local churches that we, iStudentsDuke, partner with. They are thrilled to have you in their home!

What if I have an emergency?

We ask that your commitment to Supper Club be a priority over hanging out with friends or other events. We have limited space in Supper Club and we want to reserve it for people who are genuinely interested in this dynamic cross-cultural experience. Please schedule group meetings, meetings with your professors, and other activities around the dates and times of Supper Club. If you feel that you cannot attend one of the meals with your host because of an emergency, please contact your host immediately. If they and the other students in your home are flexible, the date of the meal may be able to be changed to accommodate your needs. Regardless of whether the date can be changed, we ask that you respect your host by letting them know you cannot attend so that they are aware. 

How much does this cost?

This is free! You may need to pay for a Lyft/Uber ride to your host's home (see next question).

How will I get to my host home?

Your hosts are generously offering a meal to you. We ask that you find a way to get to your host's home. This could be riding with other students who have a car and are assigned to your host home, sharing a Lyft/Uber with others in your host home, or public transportation. Your host may offer to take you back to your home after the meal. 

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