Exchange Day is a worldwide celebration of the power of international exchange. International exchange participants (including au pairs), community stakeholders, and organizations who administer exchange programs share cultural diversity and American customs, give back to their communities, and have some fun! Exchange Day is also an opportunity to raise awareness of international exchange programs and spread the word about the power and breadth of cultural exchange.
Au Pair USA Local Coordinators typically organize events all around the country on Exchange Day within their local communities. Au pairs are often not the only exchange participants in attendance though! InterExchange staff, other cultural exchange participants, and local community members are invited to engage in Exchange Day events too!
August 5, 2024 proved to be another Exchange Day success with events happening across the U.S. With New York City being the location of InterExchange’s headquarters, participants from all around the tristate area joined forces at God’s Love We Deliver, a leading provider of nutritious, individually-tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.
Au pairs from Mexico, South Africa, and Germany attended the event at God’s Love We Deliver and worked together with other InterExchange participants and staff as volunteers, preparing and packaging food to be delivered to local residents in need of assistance.
Alexa Valeria from Mexico said her favorite part of Exchange Day was “to be able to learn more about the work that is done there (God’s Love We Deliver) and meet new people”. Indeed, while Exchange Day is certainly about giving back to our communities, it’s also a wonderful opportunity for au pairs and other cultural exchange participants to get to know each other and learn about other parts of the world. Local Coordinator Rini Ader says she enjoyed, “chatting with the other participants and hearing about their experiences.”
Other Exchange Day events across the country included a shoe drive in Connecticut, a BBQ and line dancing extravaganza in Upstate New York, and cookout celebrations in both Alabama and Tennessee, just to name a few.
To learn more about Exchange Day and cultural exchange opportunities, including becoming an au pair in the U.S., visit the InterExchange website. Becoming an au pair—or participating in any of InterExchange’s numerous cultural exchange programs—can be an incredible way to experience the world, grow, learn, and give back to your new community in a unique and special way.
