- Editor's note: From our most junior level staffers to our president, our global staff has a lot of knowledge about exchange to share. This month, we asked them to share some of their best advice, based on their studies, work experience, and their time working at American Councils. For this piece, we asked: What is your best advice for someone going on an exchange program? 1. Be prepared to present [your] country's culture, do not hesitate to make new friends, have a good… Read More
- PRISTINA, Kosovo – Alumni and supporters of the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF) celebrated the program’s 100th scholarship earlier this month, at a gala in Kosovo’s capital city. The Night of the Rising Stars, organized by American Councils’ staff in Kosovo, welcomed more than 250 guests, including former President Atifete Jahjaga, a KAEF honorary committee member, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, Minister of Education Shyqiri Bytyqi, USAID Kosovo Director Lisa Magno, and many… Read More
- Editor's note: Norman has been volunteering at American Councils and reading application essays from hopeful exchange students from around the world for the last two years. His article about volunteering was originally published in his community newsletter. “I consider myself to be three wars old,” writes a 16-year-old boy from the Gaza Strip. The high divorce rates in Kenya lead to the “ feminization of poverty,” observes a 15-year-old Kenyan girl. A Libyan teen declares… Read More
- The first time I left the country, I went to Liverpool, UK. It felt like going to the moon. Some of my colleagues in international education think it’s funny when Americans talk about traveling to another part of the English-speaking or developed world as so eye-opening, but it was for me. I’m a second-generation American and I am the first and only person in my family to attend college. I studied at California Lutheran University, which was 23 miles from the house I grew up in. I was… Read More
- Editor's note: At American Councils, we believe that exchange is for everyone, but we recognize that everyone will have a different experience while on exchange. Our staff strives to support students of all identities along the way, from recruitment to return. We asked a few of them this month to talk about their own experience with exchange and the ways they work to make exchange accessible to all. Skye Henry is the program manager for Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad… Read More
- Editor's note: At American Councils, we believe that exchange is for everyone, but we recognize that everyone will have a different experience while on exchange. Our staff strives to support students of all identities along the way, from recruitment to return home. We asked a few staffers this month to talk about their own experiences with exchange and the ways they work to make exchange accessible to all. Emily Matts Henry is the program manager for the National Security Language… Read More
- Editor's Note: US-CAEF provides funding for undergraduate study in business administration and economics through the Enterprise Student Fellowships. These two US-CAEF alumni have both worked on projects that encourage collaboration between countries and made a difference in the process. We chose to spotlight their work because American Councils supports collaboration in our increasingly interconnected world. You can read about more US-CAEF alumni working in a variety of fields in the… Read More
- Editor's note: In September, American Councils ran a campaign sharing highlights about countries, languages, and cultures, using the prompt: "One thing I want the world to know about ___ is..." To learn more about the campaign, follow @AC_Global on Twitter. This past July, I had the opportunity to go on exchange again. It wasn’t as an exchange student like my previous jaunts in the Netherlands and Puerto Rico. This time around, I was an “exchange employee” to American Councils’ office in… Read More
- American Councils for International Education celebrated two senators with strong ties to international education Tuesday at the inaugural Global Citizens Awards dinner. The event, which was held at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC, honored Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), who agreed that providing exchange opportunities for American and international students is essential to creating a more informed world. The evening also showcased the… Read More
- When exchange program participants arrive in America, host families, new friends, and locals welcome them and guide them through the journey to understanding a new and unfamiliar place. For several exchange alumni each year, the roles are reversed when they lead a group of visitors through their home countries on American Councils Insider Tours. The annual trip provides an in-depth look at several countries in a featured region, including tours and tips from exchange alumni of programs… Read More
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