Ok if I have a 19 year old and a 13 year old who want to do foreign exchange?

Question

in japan and africa, how would they obtain those goals?

Answer 1

check out asf.org ....i am going to Germany through their program! There is many opportunities to get scholarships to so that helps! I believe you have to be at least 15 to become a foreign exchange though!

Answer 2

There are some programs for students younger than 15, although they're very limited (and I don't even know where to send you, because I don't know which ones they are).  If your 13-year old wants to do a semester or year-long exchange, which I think is the best way to get the most out of an exchange, s/he will have to wait until s/he's 15.  The three major programs here in the U.S. are AFS, YFU and Rotary Exchange.  AFS and YFU are nationally organized and have set prices for everyone, whereas Rotary is organized locally and prices will vary depending on which club will be sponsoring your child.

As for the 19-year old, I suggest that s/he check out doing an exchange through his/her college, if s/he's attending college, or if not, AFS, YFU and Rotary also have programs for people from 18-25.  S/he will have the option of doing a volunteer program, where s/he can do anything from teaching English to tutoring children to helping poor children, or s/he could study at a local university.

A couple of things to keep in mind -- these programs are not cheap, but they are worth their weight in educational gold, so to speak.  I think they are well worth every penny.  That said, a year-long exchange can cost around $8,000-10,000 just for the program costs, and that's not including any additional trips, clothing, spending money or gifts.  Japan is one of the most expensive countries you can do an exchange in, and it's also very competitive because it's a popular place to go.  An African country may be cheaper to do an exchange in, but the number of African programs are limited in number.

Would your 19-year old be interested in volunteering for the Peace Corps?  I think you have to have a college degree before they let you volunteer, but by joining the Peace Corps they will offer him/her some student loan forgiveness (the amount depends on how long your volunteer service lasts).  Not only that, it's a great experience, well organized, and s/he can spend time in all sorts of exotic countries.  Best of all, you don't pay them, they pay you to volunteer.  Granted, it's a small salary and you're not going to be bringing money home with you, but you don't have to pay for the experience.

Here are some good websites to check out:

AFS: http://www.afs.org

YFU: http://www.yfu.org

Rotary: http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYout...

Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov/

Feel free to send me an e-mail with any questions.

Laura