Student Exchange
zations support their students before, during, and after their exchange year. Thanks to the structure of their orga- nizations, participants can volunteer and become actively involved in their community.
in Arlington, Virginia, and I’m still in contact with them today.
Apart from my experiences as a participant, hosting stu- dents from the US and Brazil also had an enormous im- pact on me and my whole family. I’m glad that in my everyday life I can promote the idea of intercultural exchange because this is something that has been so formative for me. Interestingly, my organi- zation, Experiment, has its roots in the US. Our founder, Donald B. Watt, was passionate about cultural exchanges between the US and Germany back in 1932 and laid the foundations for the oldest non-profit exchange organiza - tion in Germany.
I’m glad that in my everyday life I can promote the idea of intercultural exchange because this is something that has been so formative for me.
Bettina Wiedmann: I totally agree with Mr Muermann. The expe- riences I had during my own exchange are what made me so pass- ionate about the sub- ject, too. My exchange career started with a
Why do you think the US is still one of the most popu- lar countries for international student exchanges?
two-week exchange in Great Britain, followed by a three- week exchange as part of a twin-town program with a host family in Peoria, Illinois. After those three weeks, I just knew I had to spend a year at a US high school. I was lucky enough to be placed with an amazing host family
Rüdiger Muermann: The US is very present in the minds of young people all over the world. Young Germans en-
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