NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A first-of-its-kind nationwide domestic summer exchange program will welcome students from all over the country to Nashville from states across the country to bridge divides.
The nonprofit, American Exchange Program, is free for participants and was built to expose the next generation of young Americans to new perspectives, helping dissolve stereotypes. Students will meet at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School from June 19th-26th.
During the summer exchange, students spend one week exploring, learning, and building personal and professional connections with people in areas much different from where they grew up.
They meet community members, shadow local professionals, and work together on a project that commemorates their time on the exchange.
Organizers say the trip ultimately reveals that despite growing divisions, much more unites students across the country than divide them.
This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn't have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child's life. The story of De'Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone - through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.
- Rebecca Schleicher
