A growing number of American parents are enrolling their children in Chinese immersion classes in the hope of giving them a competitive edge as China builds into an economic force in the world. Another way parents are helping their children experience the language and culture is by hosting an exchange student from China.

While 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.

Academic Year in America (AYA) is proud to offer families the opportunity to experience China and the Mandarin language by opening their heart and home to a Chinese exchange student.

This August, for the second year, AYA is bringing close to 200 Chinese students, as well as nearly 1,000 other international students, to the United States. Students are age 15 to 18 1/2 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 families for five or 10 months and attend the local high school.

Many AYA host families have opted to host a Chinese student citing the contact to the Mandarin language and culture that is increasingly present on the world stage. Much like the immersion classes themselves, the demand for these students has also surged.

When AYA host families select a Chinese student to share the year with, they are finding that what they receive is invaluable. Their entire family benefits from the exposure to the language and culture, but they are also finding a rewarding lifelong friendship.

There are several key elements to the hosting experience. For five or 10 months, host families must provide their student with meals, except for school lunches and a place to sleep and study. Most importantly, they must welcome their student into their home as if they were a son or daughter. To help facilitate the exchange experience, host families will receive assistance from an AYA Local Coordinator. Upon successful completion of the exchange, host families will earn up to $1,000 for their child to use towards studying abroad with AIFS. AYA’s matching system ensures that families can find the student who is the perfect fit for their household.

In 2007/2008, the majority of AYA students will participate in our new $300 Cultural Activity Fund (CAF) program. This fund is designed to reduce the cost of taking your students to cultural events during their stay in the U.S. and can be used to take your student to a local fair, for admission to a museum, for a special school trip or to help with the costs of a weekend trip. AYA is the first program to offer this benefit and is confident that it will enhance the experiences of both student and host family.

To learn more about hosting a Chinese exchange student with AYA, contact Kelley Quigley at (800) 322-4678, ext. 5164 or e-mail kquigley@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.