This spring, our exchange students, Local Coordinators (LCs), and host families came together for the AYA Gives Back Community Service Challenge, proving that small acts of service can lead to extraordinary results.
With an original goal of 500 volunteer hours, AYA participants across the country embraced the challenge and logged an incredible 2,000+ hours of community service, quadrupling the initial target!
Lasting from March 30 through May 15, the challenge encouraged clusters to work together and give back to their community through organized or self-created acts of service, including:
- Cultural fairs
- Food pantries and meal programs
- Park, neighborhood, roadside, or beach cleanups
- Helping elderly or disabled community members
- Animal shelters
- Community gardening
- Donation drives
- Any other meaningful local volunteer projects
Participants in each cluster were asked to log their volunteer hours for a friendly competition with other AYA communities across the country. The cluster with the most approved service hours is declared the winner of the AYA Gives Back Challenge.
This year, LC Marti Little’s cluster in Arkansas logged over 500 hours—meeting AYA’s service goal all by themselves! By turning individual acts of service into a shared community effort, the Arkansas cluster showed how students, host families, and volunteers can work together to exceed expectations and create lasting local impact.
Their success reflected the spirit of the challenge as a whole. Across the country, host families, exchange students, and community members volunteered side by side, sharing cultures while serving local needs. Together, their efforts turned AYA Gives Back into a nationwide example of how cultural exchange can strengthen communities.
Local Coordinators shared how AYA Gives Back brought exchange students, host families, and neighbors together in service.
LC Melissa Jackson in Georgia highlighted how cultural fairs can turn service into a meaningful opportunity for students to share their traditions and spark new relationships in the community:
“One of the best ways of sharing culture is to share food! Find a local cultural fair and invite your students to prepare food and volunteer their time to meet community members. The best part of this kind of community service is you never know when you might find a new host family!”
Oftentimes when people engage in community service, it provides a sense of satisfaction that stays with them. LC Kelly Brown in Kansas witnessed how rewarding the exchange students found their acts of service:
“My students have been busy giving back to their communities. They worked hard…but also had a good time volunteering together.”
In South Carolina, LC Allison McDowell saw the AYA Gives Back Challenge as a catalyst for inspiring more acts of service in her community:
“We had an amazing time connecting with our community and volunteering at the International Festival for the America250 Give Back Campaign. Moments like these remind us how powerful it is to show up, give back, and make a difference together. We can’t wait to keep the momentum going and do even more.”
AYA Gives Back reflects the values that make our exchange community so special. Thank you to everyone who participated!
AYA Gives Back showcases the spirit of service that exists throughout the AYA community and demonstrates how exchange students, host families, and Local Coordinators can make a positive difference together. It’s an excellent example of how cultural exchange and community service go hand in hand, strengthening communities while fostering global understanding.
Congratulations to LC Marti Little and her cluster in Arkansas, along with everyone else who participated! We thank you for helping to make AYA Gives Back such a tremendous success.
Here’s to building even stronger communities, one volunteer hour at a time!
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