Summer work travel programs

You don’t need a passport or an international flight to gain a global perspective. Sometimes the most transformative cross-cultural experience happens right in your own backyard. At least, that’s what the American participants in our American Summer Exchange keep telling us.

The first thing you notice about Aleksandar is his giant smile. A native of a suburb in North Macedonia, this is his third summer on the Summer Work Travel (SWT) program, sponsored by InterExchange. I became aware of Aleksandar, who is one of the SWT Exchange Visitors we sponsor each year, when he volunteered for our annual day of service, an initiative of the Alliance for International Exchange.

On the road to Orlando, Florida, Ila and her boyfriend pulled into a Buc-ee’s, a gas station so big it counts as a destination in its own right. Her verdict: “this is the America you see on TikTok!”