Initially, exchanges were sponsored by specialized non-profit organizations (ACCELS and others) and were mainly oriented to the USA. Now, Ukrainian schoolchildren aged 14 to 18 have the opportunity to participate in similar programs in Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Scandinavian countries and even Brazil and South Africa, partly thanks to the fact that parents partially pay their cost.
The goal of the «Academic Year Abroad» program is to promote friendly interaction between peoples through the study of the language, culture and life of the country. Every year, hundreds of teenagers participate in exchange programs supported by many well-known political figures and businessmen. The task of the programs is to accept students who want to spend a year in another country while simultaneously studying in appropriate secondary school classes. The children's stay with host families has its own good traditions, is well organized and controlled by regional program coordinators.
The «Academic Year» program implies that a student goes for one semester or a whole academic year to study at a foreign school and lives in a host family. Consequently, he not only studies general education subjects in a foreign language, but also learns about a different culture, makes new friends of various nationalities.
The program pursues the following objectives: to give Ukrainian teenagers the opportunity to spend a year abroad; to become familiar with the foreign education system in practice; to master a foreign language fluently; to gain experience of communicating with foreign peers; to share the joys and everyday life of the host family; to develop skills of independent and responsible decision-making; to bring up a generation of socially active people who build their views on the principles of openness, creativity and peacemaking.
During his stay abroad under the «Academic Year» program, the student has the opportunity to take part in community service (project), devoting 6-10 hours per month to it, which will allow him to acquire valuable skills in teamwork and social skills. The topic of the project can be related to the student's future specialty and career, and will significantly affect his admission to a foreign university (college).
The «Academic Year Abroad» program is an amazing opportunity for a teenager to realize himself as a person, to understand who he is and what he wants to be in the future. This program is a kind of school of life.