Real Life Impact
BridgeUSA programs benefit the United States by developing our world leaders of tomorrow, fostering public diplomacy, increasing economic prosperity, and strengthening national security. On a more local level, these programs facilitate rich cultural exchange at host sites, benefiting not only the host and participant, but also the broader communities in which they work, study, and live.
Explore firsthand accounts from BridgeUSA hosts and participants below and learn how you can get involved today!
What Hosts and Participants are Saying
“The reciprocal cultural education is not only immersive but enhances the overall experience for everyone in our community. …we found last summer that J1 visa employees are 100% essential for a large seasonal business with 200 summer staff in an extremely remote location.”
— Director, Camp Vega, ME
“It is very beneficial to our American employees to have employees from all over the world, as they are exposed to different ways of getting the job done. The cultural exchange that happens at work is priceless for both parties. Customers who interact with our guest-facing students report how much they enjoy meeting the students and learn things from them.”
— People and Culture Manager, Pursuit Collection, Glacier National Park, MT
“Our international staff bring culture, diversity, perspective, as well as new games and ideas which make camp fresh, exciting and most importantly, fun. Without BridgeUSA staff, there is no way Horizons could operate as it currently does, nor be as successful for our campers. I truly believe the cultural experience that both our campers and American staff receive from our International staff is life-changing, and incredibly rewarding from a summer job.”
— Director of Staff Services, Horizon Inc., CT
