Letter from Organization

American Institute for Foreign Study

January 20, 2003

Dear All IYEO Members:

I am pleased to introduce the American Institute for Foreign Study Foundation (AIFS Foundation) and the Academic Year in America Program. The AIFS Foundation is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1967 with the assistance of the late Robert F. Kennedy. Our mission is to promote worldwide understanding through cross-cultural exchange. The AIFS Foundation is designated by the U.S. Department of State to issue the J-1 Cultural Exchange Visitor visa for this program. The Foundation's primary program is the Academic Year in America (AYA) high school student exchange program. The AYA program has been operating successfully for more than 20 years.

AYA is one of the most established and well-respected cross-cultural educational exchange programs in the U.S. and abroad. The program enables high school students ages 15-18 ? from more than 40 countries to visit the U.S. and to live with American families while attending high school for a semester or an academic year. Students participating on the AYA program learn about America and its culture while improving their English language skills and achieving their educational goals.

The AIFS Foundation has worked with IYEO since 1999 and has enjoyed a strong cooperative relationship. Together, IYEO and AYA have brought hundreds of students to live and study in the U.S. Students report that spending a year as an AYA student has changed their lives. They become fluent in written and spoken English, they become true members of their American host family and community, and become more mature and independent.

We look forward to welcoming students selected by IYEO to the AYA program. The friendships made during this program last a lifetime and help to bring the world together.

Sincerely,

Melanie French
Director/Vice-President
Academic Year in America
AIFS Foundation