State Department-supported programs provide opportunities for scholars and students in cutting edge Page 22 technology, higher education, research, business administration and many other fields. These programs encompass activities ranging from genetic research to high school exchange programs, from information technology training to graduate school research, from undergraduate university studies to summer camp counselors and au pair opportunities. Exchanges function as a multiplier for professional and personal experiences and promote our national interests. No other country in the world is as rich as we are in international exchange opportunities. Fulbright exchanges develop critical foreign language, cross-cultural and area studies skills needed for U.S. citizens to meet the challenges of a new century.
Exchange programs provide extraordinary opportunities for sharing knowledge and democratic values.
By strengthening individual and institutional relationships across borders, the Fulbright Program promotes a more stable and peaceful world. To secure the foundation of Fulbright exchanges worldwide, restoration of adequate U.S. funding is essential. The Fulbright Program's international recognition is a national asset that furthers long-term U.S. interests in an increasingly complex world. International visitor councils throughout the United States, working with program agencies, have served as the State Department s private sector partners in implementing the International Visitor Program since its inception. Each year more than 80,000 American volunteers are involved in National Council for International Visitors member activities.