March 13, 2023

Dear Superintendent:

On  behalf of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, we  send greetings and appreciation for the past support school districts like  yours have provided by hosting international students and for promoting the  global competency of U.S. students. 

We  write to encourage your district and schools to host international students  this academic year and in the future through the U.S. Department of State’s  Exchange Visitor Secondary School Student Program. The program includes an  impressive class of Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), Future Leaders  Exchange (FLEX), and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) students from  countries all around the world who would be a valuable addition to your student  body. With the more than 100,000 service hours these international students  volunteer each year, they will also provide significant contributions and  vitality to your communities. 

American  high school exchanges are a fundamental part of U.S. public diplomacy efforts  and some of the U.S. government’s earliest grassroots exchanges, having begun  in significant numbers following the Second World War. Today, these programs  are enormously popular with tens of thousands of students from nearly 60  countries applying for approximately 2,100 CBYX, FLEX, and YES slots. Every  young student wants the chance to come study in a U.S. high school classroom  and to live with an American host family. For these three fully funded  programs, we select only the best and the brightest to be placed at outstanding  U.S. schools around the country. In addition, more than 20,000 privately funded  high school students come to the United States under the BridgeUSA program.  Each one of them goes through a rigorous application process and receives  support from a nonprofit sponsor organization during their time in the United  States.

In  July 2021, the U.S. Departments of State and Education committed to work  together and with other U.S. government agencies to promote the importance of  international education and exchange in a Joint Statement of Principles in  Support of International Education. This statement asserted, “U.S.  students, researchers, scholars, and educators benefit when they engage with  peers from around the world, whether overseas or through international education  at home.”  This is especially true at the high school level, where the  presence of international students in our classrooms benefits American students  and schools by promoting cultural curiosity, a global mindset, and mutual  understanding. In addition to helping students develop global  competencies, high school exchanges also contribute to a world that is  increasingly interconnected—a shared goal of both our agencies. 

To  ensure that these programs succeed, we invite as many districts and schools as  possible to commit to hosting exchange students. Please consider what your  district can do to further assist in this effort and thank you in advance for  encouraging international exchanges. 

Sincerely,

| /s/                      | /s/                          |
|--------------------------|------------------------------|
| Antony J. Blinken        | Miguel A Cardona, Ed.D.      |
| Secretary of State       | Secretary of Education       |
| U.S. Department of State | U.S. Department of Education |