Ayusa empowers high school students to develop leadership skills and global knowledge to become the next generation of world leaders.
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through cultural exchange, volunteer and leadership programs for high school students from around the world. For more than 30 years, Ayusa has provided students with an invaluable perspective on other cultures and a more profound understanding of their important role in the global community.
Ayusa administers high profile grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of State and other organizations. Ayusa has been a recipient to more than 80 prestigious grants sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and other organizations totaling more than $80,000,000.
Ayusa is a founding member of CSIET (Counsel on Standards for International Educational Travel) and has received a “full listing” as an accredited exchange organization for 28 consecutive years since CSIET’s inception.
Ayusa is a non-profit designated by the U.S. Department of State to bring high school students ages 15-18 from around the world to the U.S. for an academic year. Students live with volunteer American host families, attend local high schools, and become part of the community in which they live.
Ayusa host families live in every state in the U.S., in big cities and small towns. Students might live with a family in a more rural area where they can enjoy nature and hikes, or an urban environment full of city sights and sounds. Ayusa host families are carefully screened and provide a loving home environment for international students. Ayusa high school students come from more than 40 different countries around the world and are excited to experience the United States!


