Bursts of Color - American Exchange Project (Guest Interview)

This summer my son Nate spent two weeks with the American Exchange Project. I’m inspired by the organization and believe we need more programs like this to encourage Americans to walk in one other's shoes. Nate also had a great time, so I asked him to tell us more…

What is the American Exchange Project?

The American Exchange Project is a non-profit that offers graduated high school seniors a one week trip (completely free) to a randomly assigned place in the country that differs drastically from their home. The organization's goal is to help break the political divide in the country by having students interact and hopefully connect with those from very different backgrounds.

How did you hear about it?

I first heard about this program because my brother Josh did it two years ago when he graduated high school. He went to rural Montana and had a great time. This year my psychology teacher promoted the program, and I knew right away that I wanted to sign up. Since my brother went just two years ago, the program has grown significantly, from 8 Palo Alto students to 24… and from about 100 students nationally to over 500. I believe 59 schools and towns across the US participated this year. 

Where did you go on your trip?

I went to a town called Longview on the very eastern side of Texas. I stayed at the home of the local high school’s librarian. In the town I visited, all the hosts were staff at the school. We did not spend too much time at the host homes though, as our days were always packed until nighttime.

What did you do in Longview? 

We did a lot of things that you might expect in a visit to East Texas such as: going to church, eating lots of barbeque, visiting ranches and shooting guns at a range. When not doing planned activities, we spent time hanging out with our new friends at their houses, parks or pools.

How many people visited Longview and where were some of them from?

Ten 18 year olds from around the country visited Longview at the same time as me, and there were about  seven local host kids hanging out with us. People came from all over the country from places such as: Maine, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, and more. Some of these people had never even left their state, let alone been on an airplane.

Will you keep in touch with anyone?

Yes, definitely. As of right now I am keeping in touch with seven of the seventeen kids from the trip. While this number may decline in years to come, I am sure I will keep in touch with a couple. For example, there is one guy from Longview who I became close friends with during the week. He lives on a ranch and plans to go to Texas A&M for college. I hope to go back and visit him at some point in the coming years. Overall, it was fun and eye-opening to spend time with a bunch of new people who have backgrounds so different from mine.