Press Release For Immediate Release July 11, 2008	Media Contact: Mike Liberty AIFS Foundation River Plaza, 9 West Broad St. Stamford, CT 06902-3788 (203) 399-5187 mliberty@aifs.org www.academicyear.org

Families Can Make a Difference, Learn Chinese Culture

STAMFORD, CT – Next month, China will play host to the Olympic games. This August, Academic Year in America (AYA) is looking for families to play host to China.

This year, AYA is bringing hundreds of Chinese 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. American families have the unique opportunity to learn about Chinese culture during this mutually rewarding exchange.

Though Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, it is just now starting to make inroads in U.S. schools. Many schools are unable to meet the growing demand for Mandarin Chinese, prompting parents to pursue other venues for this exposure.

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 Chinese culture or language, hosting a Chinese student is a fantastic way to experience China without leaving home.

“Meng Chen Wang was a joy since the first day she arrived in the United States,” says Sue Patrick from Virginia, who hosted a Chinese student. “She is a positive, happy, vivacious young lady who lights up a room when she walks in. Both she and my family have relished the opportunity to learn all of our different customs and cultures.”

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 Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese exchange student with AYA, call Stella at (800) 322-4678, ext. 5164 or e-mail aya.info@aifs.org.

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.