2017-2018 Advisory List: Of International Educational Travel & Exchange Programs

By CSIET

The Advisory List provides a resource from which prospective exchange students, their parents, and school leaders can confidently glean an understanding of the scope, background, and operations of programs that have been reviewed. The Advisory List includes descriptions of exchange programs that, upon evaluation, were found to comply with the CSIET standards and were accepted for listing into one of four categories. CSIET gratefully acknowledges the partnership and ongoing support of the National Federation of State High School Associations. CSIET would like to thank the National Federation of State High School Associations for its grant support for the publication and distribution of the Advisory List.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jul 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483469164

Book preview

2017-2018

Advisory List

of International Educational Travel

& Exchange Programs

CSIETSealTrademark.jpgfrontcover.jpg

Copyright © 2017 CSIET.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

ISBN: 978-0-9793-3460-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6916-4 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 05/22/2017

Table of Contents

Letter from the Chair

About CSIET

Model School Policy on International Student Exchange

What Students and Families Should Know

Financial Aid, Scholarship, and Government Exchange Opportunities

Definitions of Inbound, Outbound, and Short-term Programs

CSIET Standards for Long-Term, Inbound International Student Exchange Programs

CSIET Standards for Short-Term International Educational Travel Programs

U.S. Government Regulations Regarding International Youth Exchange

CSIET BYLAWS

Additional Resources

CSIET Members for 2016-2017

J-1 INBOUND

Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (AFICE)

AFS-USA, INC.

AIFS Foundation - Academic Year in America

American Academic and Cultural Exchange, Inc.

American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS

American Cultural Exchange Service (ACES)

Amicus International Student Exchange

Aspect Foundation

ASSE and World Heritage International Student Exchange Programs

ASSIST: Today’s Scholars; Tomorrow’s Leaders.

Association for Teen-Age Diplomats (ATAD)

Ayusa International

Borderless Friends Forever Foundation

CCI Greenheart

Children of All Nations

Council for Educational Travel, USA

Council on International Educational Exchange

Cultural Academic Student Exchange

Cultural Homestay International

Education Travel & Culture

Educational Merit Foundation

Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT/SHARE!)

EF High School Exchange Year

Face the World Foundation

Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG)

Forte International Exchange Association (FIEA)

Foundation for Academic Cultural Exchange (FACE)

The Foundation for Worldwide International Student Exchange (WISE)

German American Partnership Program (GAPP)

Global Insights

Inter-Ed, LTD (International Education Student Exchange Program)

International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES)

International Experience USA (iE-USA)

International Fellowship, Inc.

International Student Exchange (ISE)

Nacel Open Door

NorthWest Student Exchange (NWSE)

NW Services, Inc. PEACE Program

Organization for Cultural Exchange Among Nations (OCEAN)

Pan Atlantic Foundation

PAX - Program of Academic Exchange and Laurasian Institution

Pro American Educational Cultural Exchange (PEACE)

Reflections International, Inc.

Rotary International

Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Inc.

Eastern States Student Exchange, Inc. (ESSEX)

Empire State Youth Exchange Program

North Star Rotary Districts 5950 and 5960 Youth Exchange

Ohio-Erie Rotary Youth Exchange

Rotary California-Nevada District 5190

Rotary YES/SCANEX

Rotary Youth Exchange Florida, Inc.

South Central Rotary Youth Exchange

Western States Student Exchange, Inc. (WESSEX)

Sister Cities International

States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs

STS Foundation

Student American International (SAI)

Terra Lingua USA

United Studies Student Exchange

United Cultural Exchange USA (UCESUS)

World Link

Youth For Understanding USA (YFU USA)

F-1 Inbound Listed Programs

Academic Opportunities in America

American Home Life International (AHLI)

American Homestay Services (AHS)

AmeriStudent

AnB Education

Apex International Education Partners (AIEP)

Asian American Cultural Exchange Association (AACEA)

ASSIST: Today’s Scholars; Tomorrow’s Leaders.

Best Educational Solutions Today (BEST)

Boston Global Education

C&T Education, Ltd

Cambridge Network (gphomestay)

CCI Greenheart

CET International

Children Around the World

Council on International Educational Exchange

CPH Educational Consulting

Discoveries Academic Student Homestay (DASH)

DMD Private High School Program

EduBoston

Educatius Inc.

Edu-iCare Inc.

Exchange Service International

ExchangeMate USA

Faith Christian Academy

Foreign Links Around the Globe (FLAG)

Gateway Education USA Corp

Global Student Services of America

Haostay LLC

Heritage Student Foundation

International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES)

International Education Opportunities/Global Connections Homestays

International Experience USA (iE-USA)

Ivy International Group (Tiancheng International Group, Inc.)

Joy International Exchange Student

LPI Learning

Nacel Open Door

New Oasis International Education

New World Academic and Cultural Exchange

Newcomb Central School District Exchange Program

Northeast Student Consulting LLC (NESC)

Our Lady of Good Counsel High School

Portland Education Tour Center

Princeton Educational Services (PEDUS)

PSE - Private & Public School F-1 Exchange

Renascentia Hall International

Silicon Valley International Education Group (SVIE)

STS USA (STS Global Studies)

Topton Group

United Continental Edu Consortium, INC (UCEC)

University Track Preparation (UTP)

Wanhua Trophy Youth Exchange Program

Young Century Group

The Zource Inc.

Outbound Listed Programs

AFS-USA, INC.

ASSE and World Heritage International Student Exchange Programs

Council on International Educational Exchange

Greenheart Travel

The Traveling School

Youth For Understanding USA (YFU USA)

Short-Term Listed Programs

Youth For Understanding USA (YFU USA)

Ordering Copies of the Advisory List

To purchase a current copy of the Advisory List, please call CSIET or visit our store on our website at www.csiet.org.

CSIET

500 Montgomery Street

Suite 400

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Website: www.csiet.org

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IMPORTANT NOTE

The 2017-2018 Advisory List features information about those programs that were audited during the 2016-2017 program cycle and granted Provisional, Full, or Conditional Listing.

In April 2012, the CSIET Board of Directors met and reviewed CSIET’s process for listing of Inbound, Outbound and Short-term programs in the Advisory List of International and Educational Travel & Exchange Programs. The CSIET Board unanimously agreed that CSIET should expand listing to four separate categories. Accordingly, for the 2017-2018 Advisory List, the approved CSIET listing categories are as follows:

— Inbound J-1 Programs

— Inbound F-1 Programs

— Outbound Programs

— Short-term Programs (Inbound and Outbound)

The programs listed in this book were found to be in compliance with CSIET Standards based on the information available to CSIET utilizing a compliance audit process conducted by independent certified public accountants. Listing is neither an endorsement of an organization nor a guarantee of the quality of its programs. In addition, listing by CSIET does not suggest that only listed organizations are legitimate.

CSIET membership does not denote acceptance for listing in the Advisory List.

About the Cover: the 2017-2018 Advisory List was designed by Kristina Mazakova, an exchange student from Slovakia was a 2016-2017 full academic year student in the U.S.A. through International Student Exchange (ISE), a CSIET fully-listed J-1 exchange organization.

A note from the artist: When the Whole World Feels Like Home. My thought refers to any exchange year, when an every exchange student finds another home in different country and that feeling of calling other place home makes you feel safe, because home is everywhere where you feel safe.

Council on Standards for International Educational Travel

500 Montgomery Street | Suite 400 | Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]; Website: www.csiet.org

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Letter from the Chair

May 2017

Dear Reader:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), I am pleased to present the 2017-2018 Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs. This list includes only those international youth exchange programs that have been found to be in compliance with CSIET Standards. It is intended to help secondary school administrators, principals, parents, and youth identify reputable programs. Secondary school administrators continue to be loyal advocates of the Advisory List by requiring that exchange programs be listed in order to place students in their schools and afford them specific opportunities and privileges.

CSIET once again utilized compliance audits conducted by independent certified public accountants in order to conduct its annual review and listing process. The process includes an evaluation of compliance audits by CSIET staff whose work is reviewed and overseen by the CSIET Board of Directors. This year’s Advisory List also continues to include those short term programs (less than one academic semester) that have met CSIET’s evaluation standards.

The Advisory List also features the Inbound and Outbound Model School Policy on International Student Exchange a policy designed by CSIET member schools and exchange organizations to assist American secondary schools in administering successful and compliant international exchange programs. These guiding principles provide a foundation for local school policies and encourage every U.S. school to engage in international youth exchange programs. The model school policy has been endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).

CSIET is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is funded through private donations, grants, membership dues, conference receipts and the application fees paid by exchange programs. Please consider making a donation to CSIET to help support the ongoing review and monitoring of international youth exchange programs throughout the year.

CSIET continues to be the world leader in supporting safe and successful people-to-people exchanges for secondary school students. As the need for these types of exchanges continues to grow in importance, CSIET is poised to continue supporting those who believe that cross-cultural experiences are vital to global understanding and global diplomacy.

We truly appreciate your support of international youth exchange programs and CSIET. If you have any questions about our mission or operations, the Board of Directors encourages you to contact the CSIET office.

Julian Tackett Signature

Julian Tackett, Chair

Council on Standards for International Educational Travel

Council on Standards for

International Educational Travel

2017-2018 Board of Directors

CSIET Staff:

Christopher Page, Executive Director

Charissa Slack, Director of Marketing & Communications

Anna Damewood, Director of Membership & Conference Programming

Isaac Cudjoe, Program Officer

About CSIET

The Mission of CSIET

The mission of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) is to provide leadership and support for the exchange and educational communities to ensure that youth are provided with safe and valuable international and cultural exchange experiences.

CSIET’s purpose is to identify those organizations that successfully demonstrate:

• Commitment to CSIET Standards;

• Dedication to the development and sharing of Community Best Practices; and

• Support for the educational value of international youth exchange

CSIET achieves its mission by setting standards for international youth exchange programs; monitoring organizations’ compliance with CSIET Standards; publishing the results of the review process in the Advisory List; and distributing the Advisory List throughout the education community. CSIET operates through a network of national and state educational associations, exchange organizations, secondary schools, parents, students, and community groups.

The Listing Process

Application for listing in the Advisory List is voluntary. Organizations must reapply for listing annually.

In response to increased compliance oversight and regulatory enforcement activity by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), the CSIET Board voted in March of 2007 to restructure the CSIET review process. Specifically, the Board voted to officially accept compliance audits (conducted by an independent certified public accountant) using CSIET audit templates. These audit results serve as the basis of F-1, Outbound, and Short-term listing. J-1 listing is based on good standing with both CSIET and the Department of State.

CSIET Listing

CSIET publishes the results of the review process in the Advisory List as a service to students, educators, and families so that they may identify reputable exchange organizations. The CSIET Board of Directors created the following three types of listing to indicate each organization’s level of compliance with the CSIET Standards.

• Provisional Listing: The Provisional Listing status is granted to an organization applying for its first or second year of listing that is found to be in full compliance with CSIET Standards.

• Full Listing: After two years of Provisional Listing an organization found to be in full compliance with CSIET Standards is granted Full Listing status.

• Conditional Listing: The Conditional Listing status is granted to an organization in need of improvement in one or more areas but deemed substantially in compliance with CSIET Standards. This status may be granted to an organization that had previously achieved either a second-year Provisional, Full, or Conditional Listing.

On April 30th, 2012 the CSIET Board of Directors reviewed CSIET’s process for listing of Inbound, Outbound and Short-term programs in the Advisory List of International and Educational Travel & Exchange Programs. The CSIET Board unanimously agreed that CSIET should expand listing to four separate categories. Accordingly, for the 2016-2017 evaluation cycle, the approved CSIET listing categories are as follows:

• Inbound J-1 Programs

• Inbound F-1 Programs

• Outbound Programs

• Short-term Programs (Inbound and Outbound)

The CSIET Certification Mark

The CSIET certification mark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Only organizations accepted for listing in the 2017-2018 Advisory List may use the CSIET trademark bearing the phrase Accepted for Listing and the dates 2017-2018. Call the CSIET office if you have any questions about whether a program is accepted for listing.

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Brief History of CSIET

In 1982, the President’s International Youth Exchange Initiative encouraged schools and communities to embrace international youth exchange. As sensitivity toward exchange increased, educators and administrators of exchange programs began to recognize the need for a means of monitoring performance in the international youth exchange industry.

As a result, the International Youth Exchange Office of the United States Information Agency (now the United States Department of State) commissioned a study by the Council of Chief State School Officers. The study revealed that the lack of industry-wide standards made many school systems uncertain about the quality of exchange programs and reluctant to encourage participation. Prompt action by the private sector was recommended.

In response, representatives of education and exchange communities gathered to develop industry standards and implement a system of program evaluation. The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel was created to uphold the standards and monitor exchange programs in December of 1984.

Model School Policy on International Student Exchange

Introduction

The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), in partnership with the secondary-school community, has developed the following document to assist American schools in the process of administering successful international student exchange programs. The CSIET Model School Policy was developed with valuable input from individual high school administrators, exchange program managers, and national advocates for youth exchange. These suggested guiding principles will provide a foundation for local school policies and encourage every U.S. school to engage in international youth exchange programs.

Current events clearly show how much more interconnected all of us are to the whole world. This gives schools ever more impressive reasons for accepting international exchange students enthusiastically and using them as resources to broaden student and community perspectives on the world.

Youth exchanges provide students with a cultural experience, through which they develop a more balanced understanding of the country. They encourage new perspectives for the school’s own students that open their minds to the world. More importantly, these connections help teenagers on both sides of the exchange grow and gain maturity.

The concept of exchange programs began more than half a century ago with the Fulbright-Hays Act. High-level officials have supported international student exchange every year since. These cross-cultural experiences offer unique opportunities for American schools to help their students and communities:

» Learn first-hand about other cultures and customs,

» Create life-long friendships across cultures,

» Gain new perspectives on the United States and the world,

» Begin to understand how tightly connected the peoples and countries of the world are to each other, something our world seriously needs, and

» Open young minds to the importance of understanding other languages and other cultures, particularly with respect to career and personal opportunities.

At the same time, schools have a right to expect international exchange students and student exchange programs to adhere to guidelines that will minimize problems and make success more likely. In all international exchange programming, the human dynamic may sometimes complicate matters for administrators. However, the critical element is the ongoing relationship between the exchange program and the school – as well as the responsiveness of the exchange program. Once this relationship is formed and articulated, problems can usually be managed effectively and ultimately resolved.

International exchange students offer an exciting resource. Many schools have created special events and programs to encourage all students to get to know these guests from other cultures and expand their own horizons and interests. Such efforts also help exchange students feel comfortable in an all-new life by taking full advantage of their opportunities.

International youth exchange programs internationalize American high schools – one exchange at a time. Thank you for your support of these seminal programs. You are helping to mold our next generation of world leaders.

As of this printing of the Advisory List, the Model School Policy on International Student Exchange has been endorsed by: the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), and the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG).

Inbound Model School Policy

Number of International Exchange Students

American high schools should strive to accept international exchange students each year. The number of international exchange students that a high school will accept and the timing/deadlines for the process vary. These guidelines suggest a middle ground that recognizes the needs of schools and exchange programs, taking into account the increasing difficulty of securing early student applications and host family commitments. Ideally, schools should work toward a goal of 1% of the total student population being comprised of exchange students. Acknowledging that school conditions vary locally, it is important to set a personal goal that best fits each school community.

Timing of Placement Process

» The school asks that organizations contact the school each year to indicate an interest in placing exchange students. Exchange organizations should provide schools with advance notice of their intent to place.

» The school is to be notified as soon as Student and Host Family match-ups are confirmed.

» Recognizing the timing of school staffing and resourcing, exchange organizations should submit Student and Host Family applications as early as possible or up to two weeks prior to the school’s start date. However, acknowledging the difficulty of securing Host Family commitments, the school will try to accept applications until school starts (Note: The U.S. State Department federal J-visa regulations permit the placement of exchange students up to August 31 of each year).

Selecting Student Exchange Programs

» The school reserves the right to work with exchange organizations that have proved their commitment and responsiveness.

» The school will also be open to new organizations that demonstrate a serious commitment to the school and community.

School Expectations of Student Exchange Programs

All schools should reserve right of final approval on all student placements. Additionally, schools should require that each individual student exchange program:

» Be listed in the most current CSIET Advisory List (for the current list visit www.csiet.org),

» Maintain a network of qualified and trained local representatives living in or near the community with responsibility for each student – and provide orientation and ongoing support for both the host family and student,

» Provide continuing hands-on monitoring and responsiveness – from local representative to national headquarters – including student selection and preparation, selection and screening of host families, ongoing contact with host family and student, and communication with the school and responsiveness to school needs,

» Receive school enrollment authorization for placements each year prior to contacting potential host families – and follow school policy on timing and requirements,

» Screen and prepare exchange students while monitoring their progress during the school year, responding to issues or problems as they develop,

» Arrange host family placements before exchange students leave their home country. Exchange students are expected to be in their host family and school placements by the first day of classes,

» Personally interview and screen all potential host families, matching student and family interests and personalities,

» Not knowingly place exchange students based on their athletic abilities,

» Make arrangements for tutoring/ESL help in the event that it is needed and ensure that the student accepts financial responsibility for it, and

» Provide the school with a complete student application which includes the following:

° personal letter from the student,

° detailed information on student and natural family,

° proof that the student has sufficient language ability to function in an American classroom,

° original transcript of student’s high school grades, with English translation (and this must meet school requirements), and

° necessary medical history, including proof of immunization as required by the school district, any medical/physical restrictions and a recent physical exam with proof of required immunizations.

School Expectations for Students on J-1 Visa Sponsorships

» Each exchange student must be qualified to participate in regular classes and maintain a typical schedule - this means an acceptable level of proficiency in the English language, a commitment to treat coursework as important, and the social skills to enjoy participation in social and extra-curricular activities.

» International exchange students must be aware that participating in interscholastic athletic teams means they must comply with district and state athletic eligibility regulations, and that many teams require try-outs.

» The school appreciates the difficulty of a student’s plunge into a different language/culture/institution, but exchange students are expected to attain passing grades by the end of their first semester.

» Exchange students’ enrollment eligibility will be