In today's very complicated, social and political climate, we want to take this opportunity to recognize the work our Local Coordinators are doing to help our international students and local host communities process and understand events and trends impacting us all. These are … [Read more...]
Why Hosting Matters: Khaled’s Story
The following article was contributed by Terri, a Local Coordinator from New York reflecting on how overcoming jitters to host an exchange student opens up the opportunity of a lifetime. I suppose you could think of a lot of reasons why you might not host an exchange student. … [Read more...]
At This Time of Thanksgiving
This year marks the 35th year of AYA, and at this time of Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone that has helped us reach this milestone. It is an honor to share the AYA experience with such a generous and kind network of host families, local … [Read more...]
Meet the Winner of the AYA Halloween Costume Contest!
Every year, AYA exchange students are immersed in Halloween traditions in the United States: pumpkin carving, corn mazes, trick-or-treating, dressing up in costume and more. This year, we decided to have a Halloween Costume Contest for AYA students and host families across the … [Read more...]
#ThrowbackThursday: Local Coordinator and AYA Student Reunite Decades Later!
Consuelo and Colleen reunited. For all that they do for students, host families and communities across the country, it isn't unusual for our exchange students to form lasting bonds with their Local Coordinators. However, the following update from Colleen Robinson, an LC from … [Read more...]
Share Your Father/Daughter Stories for an Important Cause
The State Department wants you to help improve the global conversation about dads, daughters, and gender equality! If you have a great father-daughter or host father-host daughter relationship, here's how you can get involved: Submit a story (250-500 words) or photos paired … [Read more...]