As the 2025 – 2026 academic year comes to a close and exchange students prepare to return to their home countries, AYA is excited to announce the 2026 Host Family of the Year winners. The AYA Host Family of the Year … [Read more...]
“They Treat Me Like Their Own”: How the Hoffmans Made Fateen Feel Like Family
The Hoffman family—the 2026 winners of the AYA Host Family of the Year award—is a stellar example of what it means to dedicate yourself to hosting an exchange student with Academic Year in America. Shortly after their high school exchange student Fateen from Bangladesh … [Read more...]
What Happens When a Host Family Shows Up: The Story of the Starr Family and Greta
Exchange student Greta with her host family, The Starr Family, in Ohio Shortly after arriving in Ohio from Germany, Greta faced one of the hardest experiences an exchange student can face—one that she thought was going to cut her exchange year short. Her original … [Read more...]
Four Families, Four States, One Unforgettable Exchange Year
While every host family is different, the most caring ones share something in common: a dedication to ensuring their exchange students have everything they need to make their time in the U.S. unforgettable. Fortunately, Academic Year in America (AYA) is filled with amazing host … [Read more...]
Student Spotlight: Arfa from Indonesia Hosted in Texas
Time and again, we see how an exchange year can shape a high school student’s life in lasting ways. For Arfa, an exchange student from Indonesia spending his year in Texas, that journey has been filled with new experiences, meaningful connections, and moments that have pushed him … [Read more...]
Host Family Appreciation Week: Celebrating the Families Behind Cultural Exchange
Host Family in North Carolina with their Exchange Student Every exchange student journey begins with a welcome. Sometimes it’s a homemade sign at the airport. Sometimes it’s a family dinner after a long day of travel. Sometimes it’s simply hearing the words, “We’re so … [Read more...]
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