The Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of a new report that showcases the significant impact Department of State BridgeUSA programs have in and on the United States.
Commissioned by the Alliance and conducted by Rajika Bhandari Advisors, this comprehensive report looks specifically at five BridgeUSA Programs: the Au Pair, Camp Counselor, Intern and Trainee, and Summer Work Travel (SWT) programs.
The report shows and discusses impact data with regards to five key themes, namely that BridgeUSA programs…
- have a profound economic impact on host organizations and host families, and by extension host communities across the U.S.;
- forge long-term ties between the U.S. and other countries;
- benefit international participants without taking away employment opportunities from Americans;
- have a multiplier effect on American communities; and
- are meaningful cultural exchange and a unique workforce opportunity.
Notably, the report finds that exchange participants who came to the U.S. on the five programs surveyed contributed $811.2 million to the U.S. in 2023 alone. And without the support of BridgeUSA participants, many American families would struggle, and American businesses would be unable to operate as intended and/or at full capacity. The report also shows that 98% of program alumni spread the word about the programs and their experience in the U.S. through their networks and 90% of program alumni continue their engagement with the U.S. in a variety of ways after their exchange.
We encourage exchange champions to share this important report and its supplemental resources with their networks and take to social media to showcase the proven investment of BridgeUSA exchange programs using the hashtags #ExchangesImpact #ExchangesMatter. More information about the report is available here.
The Alliance is grateful to Rajika Bhandari and Melquin Ramos of Rajika Bhandari Advisors and Stacie Clark for their collaboration and work on this critical resource.