Ayusa

Ayusa Logo

Basic Information

Address: 600 California Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone Number: 1-888-552-9872
Director: Sherry Carpenter

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Additional Information

Causes Served: Spreading cultural exchange, awareness and understanding through student exchange
Clearances Required: Yes
Background Check: Yes
Population Served: Families, couples, or single adults that are looking to bring a new culture into their homes
Ages for Volunteer: +25
Hours of Service: Hours vary
Mission Statement:

Ayusa promotes understanding, friendship and learning through international student exchange. We offer a unique, richly personal experience for students, volunteer families, host high schools and local communities. Ayusa reaches across interpersonal and international borders, celebrating worldwide community through the spirit, character and promise of our youth.

Program History:

Ayusa International was founded in 1980 under the name Pacific American International Student Services as a not-for-profit, tax exempt student exchange organization. The name was officially changed to Ayusa International in 1984. In 1982, Ayusa received USIA (now U.S. Department of State) designation as an official Teenage Exchange Visitor Program. This designation authorizes Ayusa to issue Form DS 2019 to its international students applying for a J-1 exchange visitor visa to the U.S. Since our beginning in 1980 with the placement of thirty Japanese students, Ayusa has grown to become one of the premier student exchange organizations in the United States, and is widely recognized around the world. More than 50,000 international and American students have participated on Ayusa programs since 1980. Ayusa has also received numerous U.S. Department of State grants to fund scholarship programs throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Today, Ayusa places an average of 1,500 inbound students from over 75 countries worldwide, and operates outbound programs in 20 countries each year. The organizational structure of Ayusa International includes overseas offices (Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Korea and Peru) and U.S. regional offices. Ayusa world headquarters is based in San Francisco, California.

Additional Information:

Ayusa is a nonprofit high school student exchange organization. Although we are based out of San Francisco, CA, we place students all over the United States.

TWO WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE:

Host a student!

You can become a host family and host a high school exchange student! Our students stay for a full academic year, arriving in late August and leaving around May. They have had at least three years of English and come with their own health insurance and spending money.

 

Work for us!

Another volunteer opportunity is becoming a local Community Representative. Community Representatives act as the laison between our schools, students and families. They assist and engage with the families and students. Community Representatives also play an active role in their communities, promoting cultural exchange, and creating a community network.

Volunteering either as a host family or Community Representative will help promote cultural awareness and understanding. Ayusa helps to beautify the world, starting with one community at a time.