Comes on Heels of White House Threat to Eliminate the Program
Washington, DC (August 29, 2017) – As a follow up to several stories that ran this week highlighting the Administration’s efforts to eliminate the J1 Exchange Visitor Program — a State Department cultural exchange for international students and young professionals —below is a link to a report by the research firm Eureka Facts showing that one of those J1 programs, Summer Work Travel (SWT), delivers significant benefits to the U.S. in terms of public diplomacy and economic contributions.
This extensive assessment found that SWT participants leave the program with higher regard and understanding of the United States while making lasting friendships with Americans they met. The program also helps keep local, seasonal economies strong, meeting the unique needs of small, seasonal businesses. Participants in the SWT program also contributed more than $500 million to the U.S. economy in 2016 via the money they spent in the country.
Link to report: https://www.eurekafacts.com/phocadownload/SWT%20Impact%20Evaluation%20Final%20Report.pdf
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The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for now over 90 nongovernmental organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States. The Alliance increases awareness of the impact of people-to-people diplomacy.