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Can I Host an Exchange Student If I Live in a Rural Community? 

May 19, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

Aya host family rural community

Hosting an exchange student is an incredible way to bring cultures from around the world into your home—both host families and exchange students gain so much from the shared experience of cultural exchange. If you live in a rural community and you’re interested in hosting, you … [Read more...]

FAQs Academic Year in America, cultural exchange, host family, rural, rural community

Meet a Host Family: Julie in Kansas

April 30, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

AYA host mom Julie in Kansas

Welcoming an international exchange student into your home is a life-changing experience for both the student and the entire host family. Julie from small-town Rossville, Kansas, knows this firsthand. Over the past 12 years, her family has opened their hearts and home to seven … [Read more...]

Host Family Stories Academic Year in America, cultural exchange, host family, interview, kansas, rural

Meet a Host Family: Allen in Kansas

April 29, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

Host Family in Kansas Allen

For Allen and his family in rural Kansas, hosting a high school exchange student through Academic Year in America (AYA) wasn’t just a one-year experience — it sparked a lifelong connection! In 2014, he and his family hosted Vanessa from Germany, and what began as a cultural … [Read more...]

Host Family Stories Academic Year in America, cultural exchange, host family, interview, kansas, rural

Meet a Host Family: Chris & Shelby in Kansas

April 28, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

Host parents in Kansas, Chris and Shelby

When Shelby and Chris in small-town Kansas decided to host an international exchange student through Academic Year in America (AYA), they weren’t sure exactly what to expect. But what they found was a rewarding experience that brought new traditions, deeper cultural … [Read more...]

Host Family Stories exchange students, exchange year, host family, interview, kansas, rural

Meet a Host Family: Christy M. in Kansas

April 27, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

academic year in america aya host mom in kansas

Welcoming an international exchange student into your home is a life-changing experience for both the student and the entire host family. Christy from small-town Kansas knows this firsthand. Over the past five years, her family has opened their hearts and home to exchange … [Read more...]

Host Family Stories host family, interview, kansas, rural

About AYA

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Academic Year in America (AYA) is sponsored by the AIFS Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1967. Its mission is to promote worldwide understanding through cultural exchange.

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Recent Posts

  • When Hosting Does Not Go According to Plan—and Still Changes a Life
  • Helping an Exchange Student Pursue Their Passions
  • Beyond the School Year: How Host Family & Exchange Student Relationships Last
  • How Hosting Strengthens Schools and Communities
  • Cultural Exchange Happens Around the Dinner Table

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