In support of international education and opportunities to make empowered connections through public diplomacy, here is a message from Academic Year in America Executive Director Melanie French:
Thirty-five years ago, the Academic Year in America (AYA) program began to provide opportunities for international teens to come to the U.S. to live with an American host family and attend high school, to learn about America and its values and to share their culture with Americans. We adopted a vision which simply states we bring the world together, and we have been faithfully committed to that mission ever since.
As a global organization, we believe we are all citizens of the world. We embrace people from all walks of life, all religions and all nationalities.
The recent changes in immigration policy have made many people concerned about the status of our students. Currently, there is no indication that students who are in the U.S. will be affected by these developments. AYA will continue to monitor any new changes in policy and keep participants apprised of any information that may impact our program. We invite our schools, families and students to contact us with any questions or concerns.
We at AYA will continue to strive toward a world full of peace, diversity and inclusion. At the core of our program is an inherent belief in public diplomacy and the knowledge and hope that arises when citizens of the world come together. Our world is a beautiful place. Let’s continue to embrace the ideals of cultural exchange, and to foster greater understanding among the people of the world.
One student, one home, one school and one community at a time, AYA exchange empowers Americans to learn about the world around us and share our democratic values with students of the world. Thank you to everyone that participates in our life-changing program. Together, we’ll continue our mission to break down barriers to international understanding.
To learn more about opportunities to embrace the ideals of cultural exchange, please visit the AYA website.
If you’d like to make a donation in support of cultural exchange and programs like AYA, please do so online through the AIFS Foundation.
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