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Meet the Global Youth Trailblazer Grant Recipients for 2025

February 28, 2025 AYA Leave a Comment

youth put hands in

This year, Academic Year in America (AYA) launched the Global Youth Trailblazer Grant to empower exchange students and host community members to create meaningful, student-led projects that foster international understanding, social responsibility, and positive change. Applicants … [Read more...]

Volunteers arkansas, exchange students, germany, host siblings, new york, north carolina, pakistan, texas, volunteer

10 Easy Ways to Make a Difference This Earth Day

April 17, 2019 AYA Leave a Comment

10 Easy Ways to Make a Difference This Earth Day | Academic Year in America (AYA)

Hoping to show Mother Earth a little love this Earth Day? Although our world deserves love every day, Earth Day is a perfect opportunity to spread that love. If all of us in the Academic Year in America (AYA) community were to choose just one small thing to do for the planet (and … [Read more...]

Host Families, Local Coordinators, News, Students, Volunteers Academic Year in America, earth day, exchange students, host family, local coordinator, volunteer

How Local Coordinators Bring the World Together

September 6, 2018 AYA 1 Comment

Wondering what makes Academic Year in America (AYA) wonderful? Our Local Coordinators are the wheels that keep us moving and inspired. If you’re asking why our Local Coordinators are so special, here are just a few things they do to move our world closer together. Help Families … [Read more...]

Local Coordinators, News, Volunteers Academic Year in America, cultural exchange, exchange year, host families, international high school students, local coordinator, volunteer, Why volunteer

Student Volunteers Gain Skills and Help Others

March 6, 2017 AYA Leave a Comment

Student Volunteers Gain Skills and Help Others | Academic Year in America (AYA)

Margaret E., a Local Coordinator in Arizona, recently organized a volunteer event with several AYA students. The group participated in a community-based activity to benefit Forgasch house, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence providing educational, counseling and … [Read more...]

Students #weareaya, Academic Year in America, arizona, community service, Exchange Student, exchange students, exchange year, pakistan, volunteer, YES Program, YES student

Spotlight on Excellence: AYA Student Shines in New York

February 7, 2017 AYA 1 Comment

Spotlight on Excellence: AYA Student Shines in New York | Academic Year in America (AYA)

Our Local Coordinator Terri, from the state of New York, submitted the following acknowledgement of a student with whom she has been extremely impressed. Carolin, an exchange student from Germany, has been very involved in her school and local community since arriving in the U.S. … [Read more...]

Students #weareaya, Academic Year in America, AYA, cultural exchange, Exchange Student, exchange year, germany, high school exchange year, host family, new york, volunteer

Halfway Through the Year – YES Student Shares Observations

January 24, 2017 AYA Leave a Comment

Halfway Through the Year – YES Student Shares Observations | Academic Year in America (AYA)

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...]

Students Academic Year in America, AYA, cultural exchange, exchange students, exchange year, host family, local coordinator, reflection, volunteer

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About AYA

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AYA is sponsored by the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) Foundation, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1967. Its mission is to promote worldwide understanding through cultural exchange. Learn more >

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Recent Posts

  • Student of the Month: Thore from Germany, Hosted in Arkansas
  • AYA Students in Action: The Results of the Global Youth Trailblazer Grants
  • AYA Exchange Student from Mali Chosen as Prestigious Student Speaker
  • Four Exceptional Host Families: AYA’s 2024-2025 Host Family of the Year Runners-Up 
  • Can Families with Older Children Host an Exchange Student? 

LC of the month

Local Coordinator volunteer academic year in america AYA cultural exchange high school exchange year

We love to recognize our field staff every month by asking … [Read More...]

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