- Editor’s note: Karissa Huntington is the senior program manager for field operations at American Councils, where she has worked for eight years. She didn't start her career in international education, but hosting international students changed her path. She and her husband have hosted a total of 45 students, au pairs, and foster children from more than 20 countries. She thinks she’ll probably always host, and she thinks you should also consider hosting, even just once.My interest in… Read More
- It started with a text message in 2012: “Love it. Definitely!”That was Sheila Green’s response after her husband Brian asked if she was open to hosting a fellow from Ukraine.Five fellows later, the Green family has no plans of stopping. They’ve hosted two fellows from Ukraine, two from Georgia, and one from Armenia—all through the Professional Fellows Program (PFP). The State Department sponsored program, which is administered by American Councils, is a two-way exchange for young professionals… Read More
- WASHINGTON — More than 200 exchange students celebrated on Capitol Hill last week, marking their graduation from the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. The ceremony for the 26th graduating class included students from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, and featured special speeches by students from Ukraine and Moldova. State Department officials, congressional staff, and embassy representatives joined host families, local coordinators… Read More
- Editor's note: This letter to the editor was originally published in the Washington Post on May 10. I was disappointed to see in the April 29 front-page obituary for former senator Richard G. Lugar, “Senator was key in U.S. foreign policy,” no mention of his role as co-founder of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, which brings nearly 1,000 high school students to the United States every year. The Indiana Republican spoke annually to these students about how… Read More
- The Master’s and Internship Program (MIP) was established in 2016 by the Albanian – American Development Foundation (AADF), to provide young Albanian professionals, future leaders, and managers a unique opportunity for master's degrees and professional internships in the fields of agriculture, business administration, heritage, eco-tourism and hospitality, education, information technology and computer science, public health, public policy, and public administration.Furthering the mission… Read More
- Caroline and Liza haven’t met yet, but the nearly two-year-olds have been destined for friendship since before they were born. Their moms, Laura Carll and Tatyana Movshevich, have helped them become pen pals, shipping care packages between London and Erie, Pennsylvania. (The toddlers are not yet ready to write their own letters, but they do enjoy remote playdates through video calls.) Nurturing their daughters' friendship was a natural next step for the moms, best friends who… Read More
- WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives invited American Councils’ Acting President David Patton to offer testimony yesterday on the impact of citizen exchange programs. Speaking at the Public Witness Hearing for the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Dr. Patton recommended increased funding for fiscal year 2020, and encouraged continued support of exchange programs, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the former Soviet… Read More
- NEW YORK CITY — The Institute of International Education (IIE) honored AC President Emeritus Dan Davidson with a Centennial Medal for his commitment to international education, during a recent ceremony in New York City. The award was presented at IIE’s annual summit, which convenes nearly 600 leaders, influencers, and practitioners from education, government, business, philanthropy, and media to discuss the future of international education. Dr. Davidson, who currently directs the… Read More
- American Councils is pleased to congratulate our partners at Lehigh University for earning the 2019 Andrew Heiskell Award in student mobility for the Iacocca International Internship Program. American Councils' Study and Research Abroad has partnered with Lehigh on the custom internship program since 2012. The annual award from the Institute of International Education (IIE) recognizes innovative and impactful models for internationalization of campuses, study abroad, and international… Read More
- Editor's note: We polled our staff all over the world about what to bring on exchange. The submissions ranged from snacks to mindsets. (Almost everyone mentioned having an open mind, an absolute exchange essential!) Here is our top ten list: 1. A good pair of shoes for exploring. 2. Small doses of familiar flavors (spices, food mixes, etc.) to share with your host community--or to help combat homesickness. 3. Measuring cups! It makes baking for your host family and friends so much… Read More
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