50 Years in 50 Words
Many years ago, Uta from Germany met Paul from Connecticut. They traveled the world. It changed their lives.
"Every young person needs this chance," they said, "to live abroad and make a difference." InterExchange was born.
50 years and thousands of exchange programs later, Uta and Paul’s mission lives on.
Our Impact, by the Numbers
315,000
International
participants
55,000
Host businesses, camps, and families
100+
Countries
represented
Our History
In 1968, following their conviction that living and working abroad must be a part of everyone’s personal education, Uta and Paul Christianson began International Student Visitor Services, the organization that would become InterExchange.
Paul and Uta Christianson. Images courtesy of InterExchange
1968
International Student Visitor Services (ISVS) is founded
1970
Work & Travel USA is launched
1972
Camp USA is launched
1973
ISVS becomes United States Student Travel Services (USSTS)
1987
USSTS becomes InterExchange, Inc.
1988
Au Pair USA is launched
1997
Trainee USA is launched
2005
Working Abroad is launched
2007
First Christianson and Working Abroad Grants are awarded by the InterExchange Foundation
2008
Intern USA is launched
2016
An ambitious Strategic Plan was created to chart the future of InterExchange
2018
InterExchange celebrates 50 years of cultural exchange while continuing to look to the future
The Next 50 Years
Our ambitious Strategic Plan will help us begin to chart our next 50 years, as we focus on the following goals
We will continue to make a difference in the lives of those central to our mission - our participants.
We will also position ourselves to play a larger and more influential role in promoting increased global engagement.
We will celebrate the difference we make in the lives of our participants, grantees, hosts, and local communities.
