American Institute For Foreign Study

Press Release

For Immediate Release
June 26, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Liberty
American Institute For Foreign Study
River Plaza, 9 West Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06902-3788
(203) 399-5187
mliberty@aifs.com

Families Can Make a Difference, Learn German Culture

STAMFORD, CT – This year, Academic Year in America (AYA) is bringing hundreds of German high school students to the U.S. to learn about American culture while living with volunteer host families and studying at high schools across the nation. Families have the unique opportunity to learn about the German culture during this mutually rewarding exchange.

With many students available as well as an enhanced online matching system, AYA can help families find the ideal student for their home. The result is an enriching, lifelong relationship with a young person from abroad. In addition, for families looking to learn more about the German culture or language, hosting a student is a fantastic way to experience Germany without leaving home.

Students are ages 15 to 18½ 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 ten months and attend the local high school.

Who can host a German student through AYA? 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,” states French. “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—whomever would benefit from exposure to a new culture.”

To learn more about hosting a German exchange student with AYA, 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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