The American Exchange Project is stitching our country together – one student, one high school, one hometown at a time.
The American Exchange Project (AEP) gives young Americans a rare and powerful opportunity: to experience life in a part of the country that may look, sound, and feel very different from their own. Each year, high school seniors from across the nation participate in this free exchange program, spending a week in a host community that differs from their own – geographically, culturally, politically, and demographically.
By immersing themselves in a different way of life and meeting peers from other walks of life, students are invited to trade assumptions for understanding. They explore new places, meet new people, and most importantly, listen. In a time when many young Americans are taught to view those with different views or backgrounds with suspicion, AEP offers something radical in its simplicity: a chance to connect, human to human.
It’s not always easy. It takes courage to step out of what’s familiar. But when that leap is grounded in curiosity and mutual respect, remarkable things happen. Participants come away not only with new friends and unforgettable memories, but with a renewed belief in the potential of our country – one conversation, one connection at a time.
Civic Nebraska is proud to help bring AEP students to Lincoln, where they engage with our community and share in the values of hospitality, civic engagement, and open-hearted learning. Together, we’re helping to build bridges that our next generation of leaders can carry into the future.
All high school seniors on track to graduate from one of the American Exchange Project’s partner high schools are eligible to sign up for AEP. Currently, Lincoln Northeast High is the only AEP partner high school in Nebraska. Students should also be ready to participate in activities throughout the year to help build the exchange in their hometown through their school’s AEP Committee.
The American Exchange Project experience takes place over two weeks in the summer: a Travel Week for students to discover an American town different from their own, and a Hometown Week to host visiting AEPers from across the United States in your community. These weeks are not necessarily consecutive.
Sign-ups open in October and close on Nov. 22. Students design their Hometown Week itinerary throughout the winter and build friendships through the school’s American Exchange Project Committee. March brings AEP Day to all partner schools — that’s when students find out where they’re headed during Travel Week in the summer!
Summer brings one week of students exploring a new state during Travel Week and one week of welcoming other AEPers to your community for Hometown Week.
In 2024, the American Exchange Project partnered with 54 high schools in 32 states. Once students sign up, AEP will consider where they’re from, their interests, and their availability to place them in a group of other AEPers from across the country in one of the partner communities.
The American Exchange Project covers all costs associated with the program. This includes airfare, meals, housing, local transportation, and fees for events and activities.
Teachers, administrators, or staff of Nebraska high schools can sign up to be an exchange manager.
Anyone can donate to AEP. Donations support students’ travel and experiences, offset the costs of host families, and support the Project’s ongoing work.
Local businesses and groups are key to the student experience during their travel week. They can host a visit, provide an experience, or supply a meal to visiting students.
Host families welcome one or two students into their homes for exchange week. Lifelong connections often form during this time! Host families help with transportation and provide some meals. A stipend is offered to offset costs.
Contact Lena Wimes, Youth Civic Leadership Program Manager at Civic Nebraska, at le********@***********ka.org.
