International Student Exchange Programs

Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.

Oscar Wilde

Student exchange programs between different countries as a form of international cooperation emerged in the late 1940s. Their goal is to enable young people from different countries to get to know each other, learn about the culture of other countries. Their actions for many years all over the world are supported and governed by international organizations. Through these programs, students have the opportunity to visit another country, meet new friends, and learn another culture and to work on a completely legal basis. In this case, you will not only cover the costs of travel, and, if desired, will earn a very decent amount of money.

The most popular student exchange programs are:

Work & Travel USA is the unique cultural exchange program, designed for students who want to learn the culture and traditions of the American nation, pull up conversational English, gain work experience abroad, have fun relax in the company of new friends and explore the open spaces of America. And while more to earn money! Work and Travel has crazy popular among students from 40 countries.

This program is supported by the U.S. State Department. All participants for the period of stay in the United States are recognized as “Exchange Visitor” and get the official work permit. High school students of full-time teaching with intermediate English language proficiency may be involved in the program. As a member of the program, the student is able to work almost at any position in the service industry (hotels, restaurants, parks and recreation, shopping, parks, etc.) within 3 to 4 months in the summer, and at the end of employment contract, if desired, to travel and enjoy the sights of any of the 50 United States 4 weeks more.

1)      “Au-Pair” is also the name of the student youth program that works in Europe for over 50 years and is subject to the European-wide decision since 1969, and since 1994 – the International Association of au pair agencies in Copenhagen (IAPA). History of “Au-Pair” originates from the last century. German-speaking families in Switzerland sent their daughters to the familiar French families to study French language and etiquette. These were middle-class families, which compensated for the lack of education of their children, as they did not have funds to complete education. After World War II the movement au pair revived. It was becoming increasingly widespread. The U.S. government approved the program in 1988. The Au-Pair program is one of the eight programs on cultural exchange, developed by the U.S. government.

Currently «Au-Pair» is the most popular youth program, which involves young people and students from around the world. The program au pair is a relatively inexpensive and beneficial program that allows going without a significant investment to the European Union, with the ability to legally live and learn English for a year. Participating in the “Au-Pair” is considered to be a special form of the students.

AFS (American-Scandinavian Foundation) International Youth Camp conducts international exchange programs and is by far the world’s largest community of organizations from 55 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia and New Zealand. Every year some 10,000 students and pupils are involved in AFS programs and more than 100,000 volunteers provide the high quality of these programs on a single international standard.

1)      Anglo Training exchange program allows visiting England not only by those who want to enjoy the beauty of this unique country, but also by people who want to work there. The key factors to this are:

–  Being 18, but not yet 26 years old;

–   Being full-time students of the university;

–   Specializing in hospitality, tourism and catering;

–  Good English skills.

Anglo Training participants will work in a nice hotel anywhere in the UK except London, for a period of 3 to 12 months. The earnings will be 70 pounds a week (and it’s a little more than $ 100), which is not bad considering the fact that you will be provided with full board – free food and accommodation. Documents required for participation in this program are issued for three months.

2)      Camp America offers the conditions of participant’s work in camp maintenance staff positions (Campower) or directly with children as a counselor (Camp Counselor). The duration of work is nine weeks, and accommodation is offered free by camp. After the work expiration the participant is paid pocket money, the amount of which depends on his age, position held and, how much times the participant came to the United States under the program. The sum of pocket money is shown in the table:

Requirements for participants:

–  Being full-time students of the university 1-4 year

–  Age 18 to 23 years

–  Spoken English

This program is designed for those who want to get more than by Work and Travel, where students go on their own, he is obliged to provide his own food and accommodation costs, if they are not provided by the contract with the employer. In the case of a Camp America program you will be provided with the room, food and all the other good things of life with parents. They will be replaced by the administration of the camp. The comparison with a family is the right when speaking about the camp and life in it, once you will work for nine weeks.

We get experience from everything – it can be good or bad, long-run or shot-run, but it is always get. So try the trip by international exchange program and get your own unforgettable experience!