Ideas and Links for Getting Started

Where to Begin?

Many youth with disabilities are interested in international work, volunteer or study abroad opportunities. For parents or teachers, this is an exciting time in your child's or student's life where you can support their goal of participating in an international exchange program.  _{Photo Caption: To find out about the high school exchange programs available, begin by searching some of these useful website links below.} 

Website search engines help in finding a program to a particular destination:

• NCDE Exchange Programs Database (use keyword "high school" or "youth")
• Go Abroad Database (specifically for high school programs)

Some parents or teachers may encourage teenagers with disabilities to try a short international experience in their home country first. For example, they could:

• Volunteer with people from around the world by contacting Volunteers for Peace or Co-Coordinating Committe for International Voluntary Service
• Seek out an international or foreign language camp, such as Children’s International Summer Villages.
• Look for local International Studies and Foreign Language immersion schools in their community.
• Join their area's Model United Nations club to learn how global decisions are made.
• Participate in Global Service Day, an annual global event that involves millions of youth in service projects in over 150 countries.
• Become involved in their local Sister Cities International Association or join the Interact club for youth ages 14-18 as part of Rotary clubs worldwide.
• Share experiences with a pen pal or school kids in other countries through online projects.
• Read books about other cultures, go to local cross-cultural events to discover how people with disabilities live in other countries, play music from around the world, or learn phrases, songs or nursery rhymes in another language.

Parents and teachers of young adults with disabilities may also find that the following options give youth with disabilities a chance to mature and refine their goals before heading straight to college or work after high school. “Even if your child is 14 (or younger), it is never too early to talk to your child about his or her plans for after high school and start a transition plan that includes exchange programs for your child to research and explore,” says Sandy Grevé, a parent who has been actively involved with U.S. parent centers, and who has a daughter with a disability who studied abroad.

• Consider an international exchange called the "gap year." Read more about this in the March/April 2006 issue of Transitions Abroad Magazine.
• Apply for a Mobility International USA cross-disability leadership exchange for leaders with disabilities ages 18 - 24.
• Suggest an international sports-related or outdoor adventure exchange.

Teacher-Led Programs

Teachers can also consider setting up a program of their own. Often the group leader's expenses will be covered if enough students join the program and it is arranged with one of the high school organizations that specialize in group travel arrangements.

"It doesn't have to be too intimidating to plan a trip overseas. Working with language schools takes a lot of the pressure off of me because they are able to find the host families, and take care of the train tickets and other details that I don’t have to stress about. It’s doable as long as you’re working with somebody on the other end,” says Amy Pasterczyk, Foreign Language Chair at Purnell school for girls with learning disabilities. “The average cost is $3000-$3500 per student for a two-week trip that includes everything from airfare to excursions to food. If there is a student that normally would have financial aid from the school, we try to incorporate a financial aid package into their study abroad but it varies year to year.”

^{Photo Caption: Taking a group of students abroad can be a lot of responsibility but also full of many rewards - it is worth the effort to arrange.}

Teachers can also consider setting up a program of their own. Often the group leader's expenses will be covered if enough students join the program and it is arranged with one of the high school organizations that specialize in group travel arrangements.

Some exchange programs that will work with teachers to plan a trip can be found through the Council for Standards in International Educational Travel or the Student & Youth Travel Association. Also, scholarships for low-income students can be gained through an exchange grant for schools offered by the American Institute for Foreign Study Foundation. Read more in this Transitions Abroad magazine article.