Germany has just finished catering to Americans and the world as the host of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and now it’s America’s turn to play host to Germans. In August, Academic Year in America (AYA) is looking for Culver City families to host German students.
AYA is bringing hundreds of German high school students to the United States to learn about American culture while living with volunteer host families and studying at high schools across the nation. American families have the unique opportunity to learn about German culture during a mutually rewarding exchange.
Students are ages 15 to 18 and arrive with full medical insurance, spending money and the hopes of experiencing life in America through the eyes of a caring host family. The students stay with their host for five or 10 months and attend the local high school.
According to AYA Director, Melanie French, an important aspect of the AYA program is that there are many types of people who can host. “Just as there is no typical American family, there is no typical host family, she says. “Retirees, single parents and young couples are all able to give an international student a good home. Some host families may not even have children of their own. Bringing a German student into your home can mean giving the gift of culture to yourself, your family, your community – whoever would benefit from exposure to a new culture.”
AYA is a nonprofit organization that has offered more than 35,000 students the opportunity to study abroad over 30 years, and is designated by the U.S. Department of State to offer J-1 visas to international students and is sponsored by the American Institute For Foreign Study Foundation.
To learn more about hosting a German exchange student with AYA, contact Local Coordinator, Katina Gatlin at (310) 945-8410 or mkceo@hotmail.com. For more information, log onto academicyear.org.
