Support high school scholarship international exchange students!

Do you love working with teenagers? Are you curious about other cultures? If you enjoy meeting new people, have excellent interpersonal skills, and looking for meaningful community work, consider becoming an American Councils Local Coordinator.

Local Coordinators engage with their local community to find volunteer host families/encourage local families to host and obtain enrollment in U.S. high schools. They also support international high school exchange students and their host families during academic year programs in American communities, earning incentive-based honoraria along the way.

Sharing the value of exchange with potential host families is a crucial part of supporting exchange students; you are the boots on the ground advocate in the community to make securing host families possible!

As a Local Coordinator, you will bridge cultural gaps and build lifelong relationships between you, your students, host families, and local schools and communities. You will also enjoy flexible hours, opportunities for personal development, and the satisfaction of fostering relationships between Americans and exceptional young people from around the world.

Overview of responsibilities

What's expected of American Councils Local Coordinators?

• Bolster relationships with community members to identify host families
• Connect with and discover potential host families for high school exchange students
• Build relationships with local high schools and obtain school enrollment
• Provide support to exchange students and host families throughout academic-year programs and help strengthen student and family relationships
• Build bonds through maintaining, at minimum, monthly contact with students and families, and submit reports detailing meetings
• Lead orientations and enrichment activities throughout the year
• Become familiar with US Department of State program regulations.

What makes a great Local Coordinator?

• Excellent communication/interpersonal skills,
• Flexibility and openness to different cultures and ideas,
• Utilize networking skills to identify volunteer host families (ideally 3 or more) within 120 miles of place of residence,
• Ability to organize and coordinate events that highlight U.S./local community’s culture,
• Ability to represent American Councils and U.S. Department of State programs to local community,
• Respond proactively to communication from students, host families, and American Councils team,
• Ability to address issues related to student wellbeing, cultural difference, or other challenges, with support of American Councils team.
• Other preferred qualifications: experience working with teens; international experience and/or interest in other cultures; social media marketing or recruitment experience; strong ties to local community; 25 years or older.

Why should YOU become a Local Coordinator?

• Enjoy a flexible, part-time position with incentive-based honoraria
• Strengthen your resume in various fields: event planning, cultural competency, communications, marketing, and more.
• Have opportunities to travel to annual training workshops and professional development events around the U.S.
• Be part of essential U.S. diplomacy efforts in fostering understanding across cultures
• Get connected to a global community of individuals interested in international education and cultural exchange

Questions? Visit our website (inbound.americancouncils.org), email at inbound@americancouncils.org, or fill out our Local Coordinator Application https://www.tfaforms.com/4597396