Academic Year in America

So, why should you become a Local Coordinator with Academic Year in America (AYA)? Hear from some our current LCs from across the United States as they share what they love about being part of our cultural exchange program, like: ✨ Travel benefits ✨ Networking and training opportunities ✨ Meaningful long-lasting relationships ✨ Local and global impact ✨ An endless supply of hope for the future Want to become a Local Coordinator and help bring our high school exchange program to your local community? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eSDqzNDP #communitybuilding #exchangeprogram #intled #weareaya #internationaleducation #exchangestudents #culturalexchange

Join us in congratulating our first cohort of Global Youth Trailblazer Grant recipients! 🌎🎉 Learn more about the innovative, community-driven initiatives they'll be pursuing this semester that align with the values of education, cultural exchange, and service. → https://lnkd.in/eBXPRnRQ #exchangeprogram #culturalexchange #communityservice

Congratulations to our first two Local Coordinators of the Month in 2025! 🌟 Allison Buckles from South Carolina | January 2025 LC of the Month 🌟 Alexis Rojas from Texas | February 2025 LC of the Month These two champions for cultural exchange are doing fantastic work in their communities to find host families for our incredible students arriving next school year! They're also diligently supporting current exchanges in their local area. Join us in celebrating Allison and Alexis, and all they do to help us achieve to our mission of bringing the world together!

Christmas 2023 🎄 was different for us. We spent the holidays with “family” in Germany. Over the span of 5 years our family has hosted two of their sons as exchange students, and they showed up for our daughter when she was studying abroad and had nowhere to go for her Spring Break. We are family brought together through cultural exchange. 🇺🇸🇩🇪 In this photo are brothers and sisters who became family because we made a crazy decision to invest in a child’s education and welcome an exchange student into our home. You can’t tell who is biologically related because it no longer matters. They are family. Would you like to grow your family through student exchange? Visit:www.academicyear.org or comment below and I can help you get started. It’s always a good idea to bring the world together 🌏✌🏼#WeareAYA

If you are a passionate, gregarious individual interested in exploring new cultures and getting involved in your community, apply to become an AYA Local Coordinator! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e8fqKxqg

Meet our Local Coordinator of the Month, Sheri from Idaho! Since 2001, Sheri has been an incredible part of the AYA community, making a difference in the lives of countless students and host families. Her proactive approach and commitment to student success shine through in everything she does, whether it's providing support through the acclimation phase or fostering long-lasting relationships with host families in her area. Her efforts ensure stability and create meaningful connections that last a lifetime. Thank you, Sheri, for your 23 years of service to Academic Year in America!

This #GivingTuesday, let’s empower the next generation of change-makers! AYA's parent organization, the AIFS Foundation, has been breaking barriers for underserved and deserving youth since 1967, helping them experience life-changing international education opportunities. With the support of the AIFS Foundation, we proudly serve students from diverse backgrounds, providing scholarships and grants that allow them to explore new cultures, develop global perspectives, and achieve dreams that once felt out of reach. Here’s how your support makes a difference: 🌟 Funds scholarships for students who might not otherwise afford an international exchange. 🤝 Promote understanding and cultural exchange between communities and nations. 🎓 Equips young leaders with tools to thrive in a globalized world. When you give, you help us bring the world together—one student, one family, one community at a time. 💌 Donate today: https://lnkd.in/emn8nXBk Thank you for believing in the potential of these incredible young people. Let’s make this Giving Tuesday a day to remember for the students who need us most.

Congratulations to our Local Coordinators of the Month for October and November 2024: Margaret Evangelesta and Christal Hankey! Margaret, based in Arizona, embodies the heart of the Academic Year in America program. Her passion for cultural exchange and her dedication to supporting students and host families make her an invaluable Local Coordinator. For over a decade, Margaret’s commitment to building connections and fostering cross-cultural understanding has contributed to the success of our program. Based in Texas, Christal has been a cornerstone of the Academic Year in America program, going above and beyond to support exchange students and host families in her community since 2014. Her dedication to cultural exchange and creating meaningful global connections has made a lasting impact on everyone she works with. Thank you, Margaret and Christal, for your unwavering commitment to making every exchange experience extraordinary. 🌟💙 #exchangeprogram #exchangestudent #localcoordinators #academicyearinamerica #weareaya #hostfamily #texas #texashostfamily #arizona #arizonahostfamily

In 2020, I invited a host mom in Charlotte, NC to become a local coordinator when our family moved to Seattle. In 2023 when our family moved from Seattle to Atlanta, I invited two host moms to become local coordinators. In January of 2024 when I was invited to join the AYA staff, I invited a local host mom to become a local coordinator. It was such a pleasure to see all four of them participate in this years National Meeting in Cartagena, Colombia! 🇨🇴

What an amazing weekend celebrating the Local Coordinators who make our students’ dreams come true. I enjoyed presenting about creating meaningful connections through conversation with Michele Kabel, and had a blast on all the amazing tours and adventures orchestrated by Lisa Schacter, M.S. Every member of the Academic Year in America team did a fantastic job making participants feel welcome. I can’t thank them enough for all their contributions!