exchange students Archives

A New Semester in Full Swing

February 1, 2017 AYA Leave a Comment

It's that time of year again! Spring semester AYA students have arrived and joined their host families in America. Recently, our German students attended orientation in New York, and we checked in to see how things were going. After a few weeks in their new homes, here's what … [Read more...]

Halfway Through the Year – YES Student Shares Observations

January 24, 2017 AYA Leave a Comment

The following blog post was written by Fira, a YES student from Indonesia living with her host family in South Carolina. Fira has a lot to say about how much her Local Coordinator, host family and exchange community mean to her as she reflects on reaching the halfway point in her … [Read more...]

Exchange Students Honor U.S. Fallen Heroes for Wreaths Across America Day

December 28, 2016 AYA Leave a Comment

Louise H., a Local Coordinator in the Virginia/Maryland area, and Cindy A., a Local Coordinator from Ohio, recently organized a fantastic community service project for a large group of AYA students to attend in Washington D.C. On a cold Saturday in December, in addition to … [Read more...]

A Very Special AYA Christmas

December 21, 2016 AYA Leave a Comment

Sharing holiday traditions can be a fun way to get to know more about another culture. Fatima, a YES student from Lebanon, shared the following about her experiences learning about Christmas and volunteering in her community with her host mom. It's lovely to see people coming … [Read more...]

Local Coordinators: Important Advocates for Cultural Exchange

December 12, 2016 AYA 1 Comment

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...]

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: AYA Students Go to Chicago

December 7, 2016 AYA Leave a Comment

The holiday season is a time for tradition in the United States, so it makes perfect sense that Local Coordinator Kelly B. in Kansas would continue hers. Each year, Kelly takes AYA exchange students to Chicago, Illinois. Sweta, a YES student from India living with her host family … [Read more...]