This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Longmont, CO – Academic Year in America (AYA) is looking for families to host an exchange student this August.
AYA, a non-profit organization, is bringing hundreds of high school students to the U.S. this year to learn about American culture while living with volunteer host families and studying at high schools across the nation. American families have the unique opportunity to learn about the culture of their exchange student – while sharing their own - during this mutually rewarding exchange.
AYA can help families find the ideal student for their home. The result is an enriching, lifelong friendship with a young person from abroad. In addition, for families looking to learn more about the cultures of the world or a specific language, hosting a student is a fantastic way to experience the world without leaving home.
“Hosting a student has been one of the best ways we have found to teach our children about other countries and cultures without leaving our own home.” - Longmont Host family 2015/2016
Students are ages 15 to 18 and arrive with full medical insurance, spending money and the hopes of experiencing life in America through the eyes of a caring host family. The students stay with their host for five or ten months and attend the local high school.
Who can host an exchange student through AYA? According to AYA Director, Melanie French, an important aspect of the AYA program is that there are many types of people who can host.
“Just as there is no typical American family, there is no typical host family,” states French. “Parents with children, retirees and families without children are all able to give an international student a good home. Bringing a student into your home can mean giving the gift of culture to yourself, your family, your community—whomever would benefit from exposure to a new culture.”
To learn more about hosting an exchange student please contact Local Coordinator, Debbie Odom at 303-532-6577 or email [email protected] . Visit AYA on the web at www.academicyear.org
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About AYA:
AYA is a not-for-profit organization designated by the U.S. Department of State to offer J-1 cultural exchange visas to international students. AYA is sponsored by the American Institute For Foreign Study Foundation, which was founded with the assistance of the late Robert F. Kennedy in 1967. AYA has offered more than 30,000 students and host families the rewarding experience of learning about another culture and language and making a new lifelong friend.
