Volunteer FAQs

American Exchange Project is a two-week adventure for high school seniors that takes place in the summer after graduation. Both weeks of the program are fully funded thanks to generous donations from foundations like the Hearthland Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York, as well as hundreds of individual donors. 

During their Travel Week, students will spend time in an American community completely different from their own (think: a born-and-bred New Yorker spending the week camping in the dense forests of Oregon; a student who grew up on their family farm in Minnesota walking the National Mall in D.C. for the first time).  During their Hometown Week, students will show off the best parts of your town to students from across America. 

From tangy barbecue in Texas to fresh-caught lobster in Massachusetts; eye-popping Alaskan glaciers to Kansas’s great golden plains; L.A.’s glittering coastline to Montana’s sprawling ranch country, an American Exchange Project adventure will change the way young adults see their country, their neighbors, and themselves.

Check out the list of our partner schools to find out if we’re currently in your community. 

If you live close to another host town, there’s still plenty of ways you can get involved. Reach out to your closest Exchange Manager via our interactive map to learn about opportunities to help, from driving students to the airport to facilitating in-kind donations. 

We’re also always looking for volunteers at a national level to help bring American Exchange Project to new schools across the country. If you’re plugged into local chapters of national groups (Rotary Club, Junior League of America, the National Council for the Social Studies, etc.), email our team to partner with us in bringing American Exchange Project to your town, or fill out this form.

By volunteering, you can:

• Build relationships with people from across the country—and within your town—that you never would’ve met otherwise. Every American Exchange Project student connects with an average of 30 people during their trip, and one of them could be you

• Get a deeper look at your town’s history and culture while making fun local activities possible for everyone in the program

• Experience the magic ofstudent milestones—like their first trip out of their hometown, first swim in the ocean, or first time seeing a cow

• Help introduce visiting students to career and volunteer opportunities in your town. Several of our students have started internships through the relationships built during their Travel Week 

• Be part of an innovative nonpartisan solution to growing divisions in our country 

We’re thrilled you want to help bring our adventure to your community and help us create a more connected America. We most often partner with a high school (public, charter, independent, and religious/parochial schools, as well as homeschool co-ops) and an educator within the high school to get set up, but we’re also open to partnering with a parent, community leader, or third party organization that serves high schoolers. If you have questions about the process of bringing American Exchange Project to your community, email our team. Or, when you’re ready, fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch soon!

Typically, a teacher or administrator within a local high school serves as an American Exchange Project Exchange Manager. Exchange Managers are their community’s main point of contact throughout Hometown Week. Exchange Managers facilitate the adventure for students and serve as an American Exchange Project representative for other members of the community (like you) who are involved. Find your local Exchange Manager on our interactive map, or help us bring American Exchange Project to your town. 

Exchange Managers shouldn’t do everything on their own, and you can absolutely help. We ask Exchange Managers to fill two additional volunteer roles in order to create a community team:

• Community Leader: Community Leaders are often plugged in with local businesses, other volunteer organizations, or even local government. They leverage their relationships in the community to solicit in-kind donations (like tickets to events or meals), arrange special events or tours, and more. 

• Host Family Coordinator: Host Family Coordinators help Exchange Managers find families who are willing and able to open their homes to visiting students during Hometown Week. A great Host Family Coordinator has connections within places of worship, civic and social clubs, or other social networks and is comfortable reaching out to families to secure sleeping arrangements for travelers. 

If you’re interested in filling one of these roles, contact your local Exchange Manager via our interactive map. 

There are a few ways! First, consider hosting a professional development activity through your organization. A site visit to a local business or organization is a key part of every exchange and is an ideal opportunity for students to make connections to leaders in your town. Reach out to your local Exchange Manager via our interactive map if you have ideas. 

Past workplace events and tours have included:

• A logging plant (Maine)

• Google headquarters (California)

• A medical technology firm (Washington)

• A cattle ranch (Texas)

• Fenway Park (Massachusetts)

• A petrochemical facility (Louisiana)

If your workplace can’t facilitate something like a tour, consider partnering with us to support our mission in your community through giving. Explore your options for giving here.

Yes! If your organization needs volunteers, consider hosting a service project for students. Every exchange includes a volunteer initiative that enables students to give back to the community; students gain valuable insight into local issues and the ways in which leaders and organizations address them. Reach out to your local Exchange Manager via our interactive map if you have ideas. 

Past service projects have included:

• Repairing houses damaged by a hurricane (Louisiana) 

• Assisting a sea turtle rescue organization (Florida) 

• Teaching English to first-time learners (Nebraska) 

• Planting flowers and shrubs for local beautification (Montana) 

• Helping organize a key state food bank (Arkansas) 

• Setting up for a popular summer festival (Idaho)

Every single exchange hinges on the generosity of the community, and in-kind donations are one of the biggest ways you can pitch in. Learn more about in-kind giving here, and reach out to your local Exchange Manager via our interactive map to learn about specific needs. 

Past in-kind donations have included:

• The use of a church van for the week (Ohio) 

• Passes to a local film festival (Kansas) 

• Merch and tickets from a minor league baseball team (Tennessee) 

• A breakfast spread from a popular bagel spot (New Jersey) 

• A no-cost museum tour (Delaware) 

• Free entry to a big-ticket Fourth of July concert (Utah)

There are ample ways to support your local Exchange Manager throughout the week, from dropping off a meal to driving students around town to welcoming visiting students at the airport. Contact your local Exchange Manager via our interactive map to learn more about the opportunities available for your Hometown Week. 

Yes! We’re so grateful that you want to be part of our work. If you have a specific educator or school in mind, tell us all the details here. 

Want to go further and be part of our year-round outreach efforts to new towns? Email our team to learn how you can help expand our program.