Exchange Program Looking for Volunteers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) December 7, 2010 -- STAMFORD, CT – December 7, 2010 – Academic Year in America (AYA) (http://www.academicyear.org/index.asp), one of the nation’s largest and most respected high school foreign exchange student programs in the U.S., is looking for volunteers to serve as Local Coordinators in 18 states around the country.

AYA Local Coordinators are open-minded women and men who enjoy working with young people and believe deeply in the value of cross-cultural exchange. Local Coordinators are responsible for finding volunteer host families, ensuring that students are placed in safe and nurturing home environments, liaising with local high schools, and supervising students throughout the school year.

In exchange for volunteering, Local Coordinators earn opportunities to travel internationally and domestically (for free!) including this year’s annual AYA National Meeting, to be held in Florence, Italy in 2011. Other incentives are available as well; how much you earn depends on how involved you are! Most importantly Local Coordinators enjoy the rewarding experience of being part of a great public diplomacy effort and bringing the world together through intercultural exchange!

“I think being a Local Coordinator is one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve ever had,” states Sheri Schuster, the Local Coordinator in Payette, Idaho. “It’s changed my whole life. I’ve met some great friends and I have family all over the world.”

Individuals looking to volunteer for this unpaid position in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia can visit AYA online to learn more about the position or to apply. Visit: http://www.academicyear.org/local_coordinator/about.asp

In 2011, AYA will bring more than 1,200 students age 15 to 181/2 to the United States. With AYA’s tailored matching system, families have the unique opportunity to find a student who will be the perfect fit for their household. Students come from more than 30 countries, such as Germany, Brazil, France, Italy and South Africa and have a multitude of diverse talents and interests.

To learn more about hosting an AYA student, call Stella at (800) 322-4678, ext. 5164 or e-mail aya.info@aifs.org.

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AYA is a not-for-profit organization designated by the U.S. Department of State to offer J-1 visas to international students. AYA is sponsored by the American Institute For Foreign Study Foundation, which was founded with the assistance of the late Robert F. Kennedy. For more than 25 years, AYA has offered more than 20,000 students and host families the rewarding experience of learning about another culture and language and making a new lifelong friend.

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