Secondary School Student Exchanges. Discussion Paper

Educational and cultural exchanges are the cornerstone of U.S. public diplomacy and an integral component of foreign policy. To further this policy objective, the Department of State designates U.S. government, academic, and private sector entities to conduct educational and cultural exchange programs pursuant to a broad grant of authority from the Congress. This paper provides an overview of the Secondary School Student Exchange Visitor Program and presents data describing the 2006-2007 academic year. It offers observations of the current state of these programs and their participants. It also identifies pitfalls that may lead to unsuccessful programs and seeks feedback on how best to avoid them. The Department of State intends that this paper be a first step in an industry-wide dialogue that will encourage best practices and successful programs. (Contains 16 footnotes.)