Advocacy for cultural exchange
in the coming year

Playing an active leadership role in the international exchange community’s advocacy is vital to our program’s success—join us in our mission and make change!

How BridgeUSA programs help support U.S. businesses

BridgeUSA participants make substantial economic contributions.

In 2023, participants across the five programs surveyed contributed a total of $811.2 million to the U.S. economy. This spending supports businesses and communities across the country.

U.S. businesses rely heavily on BridgeUSA programs.

Many businesses depend on these programs to fill critical labor needs. For example, 86% of Summer Work Travel host employers rely on the program to fill local staffing shortages. Without these programs, many businesses would face significant challenges.

BridgeUSA programs are essential for many host employers.

The report highlights the negative impacts businesses would experience if they couldn't access these programs. For example, 96% of camps would see their operations negatively impacted if they couldn't host international counselors. This underscores the vital role BridgeUSA plays in supporting U.S. businesses.

BridgeUSA programs provide significant value to host employers.

Host employers emphasize the many benefits of participating in BridgeUSA programs, including filling labor shortages, enhancing workplace culture, and gaining access to a global workforce.

The global InterExchange impact

Our participants seek life-changing adventures around the world, longing for experiences that will push them to new heights and stretch them in exciting directions. We asked more than 50,000 InterExchange alumni worldwide what impact their abroad program had on their lives.

Our impact, by the numbers

experienced personal fulfillment during their program

of our alumni would recommend InterExchange to a friend

keep in touch with international friends and colleagues

reported becoming more independent as a result of their program

of international participants improved their English language skills during their stay in the U.S.

of participants rated their experience 8 or above on a scale of 1-10

of American participants improved their foreign language skills during their program abroad

An Investment in America

Commissioned by the Alliance for International Exchange and conducted by Rajika Bhandari Advisors, this comprehensive report looks specifically at five BridgeUSA Programs: the Au Pair, Camp Counselor, Intern and Trainee, and Summer Work Travel (SWT) programs.

InterExchange alumni community

Our alumni members are fellow students, professionals, and leaders from more than 60 countries, all looking to make a difference in and out of their communities. They are an integral part of the InterExchange mission to develop international relationships and promote cross-cultural awareness.

use languages other than their countries’ native languages.

use cultural knowledge gained during their InterExchange programs.

interact with people in other countries.

use professional skills acquired during their InterExchange programs.

The Philosophy of Cultural Exchange

InterExchange's founders, Uta and Paul Christianson, believed that living and working abroad should be part of everyone's personal education. Cultural exchange broadens our global awareness, empowers us with intercultural connections, and provides a lifelong connection to the international community. It allows us to learn about the countries and cultures we visit, and to share our own traditions and points of view.

By meeting people and seeking new experiences, we can strengthen our ties to other nations and cultures. We can encourage respect, cooperation, and appreciation for those who may be different from us. As our world becomes more connected, international cooperation and understanding are critical not only for governments seeking successful diplomatic connections, but also for individuals seeking meaningful global relationships.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

– Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad

Featured stories

Travel Experiences US Residents

September 30, 2026

5 -min read

Going Global by Staying Local: Discovering the World and Rediscovering Home

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.

For International Participants

September 28, 2026

3 -min read

Giving Back in the Big Apple

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.