About Us
Who we are
We seek to spark an interest in other cultures, to help our participants go abroad, and make a difference—in both themselves and the world.
We create exchange opportunities both for international students and young professionals to experience the United States, and for young Americans to travel the world beyond our shores.
Our story
In 1968, our founders, Uta and Paul Christianson, created an organization that would connect young people from around the world with life-changing international cultural exchange opportunities, birthing InterExchange.
Over the past 50 years, we’ve become a leading non-profit international exchange organization. We carry on the mission Uta and Paul embraced half a century ago: to promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding through international work, teach, and volunteer exchange programs.
What we stand for
We believe that each of our participants should have the opportunity to engage in a meaningful intercultural experience. For some, it will mean living and working in another country, far from your home. For others, it will mean sharing your home, business, or community—and your culture—with exchange participants from abroad.
Our commitment
We aim to help our participants build cultural understanding and global skills—one person at a time, one experience at a time.
We believe that international exchange broadens global awareness, empowers intercultural connections, and provides lifelong connections to the international community.
Fulbright-Hays Act
We encourage all our participants and professional colleagues to learn about The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, also known as the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion at InterExchange
We believe that international exchange has an important role to play in contributing to broader awareness and successful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategies. At InterExchange, the programs we facilitate support our mission of promoting intercultural awareness, empowering participants with intercultural connections, and providing them a lifelong connection to the international community. DEI is central to our mission and the work we do, and we are committed to educating ourselves and our community with the goal of being more empathetic and compassionate global citizens.
Meet our team
Our InterExchange leadership team comes from a diverse variety of backgrounds, but we all share one thing in common: we are ardent believers in the transformative powers of cultural exchange.
Leadership
Board
Partners and alliances
Playing a leadership role in a vibrant, thriving, and well-connected international exchange community helps us to achieve our mission. We are a member of, on the Board of, and active in a variety of international exchange professional and advocacy associations.
We’re passionate about what we do. Join us if you’re the same.
We’re globally minded and adventurous. We’ve lived, worked, studied, and/or traveled abroad and have firsthand insight into making every cultural exchange experience successful. If you’re just as driven, you’ll fit right in.
