BridgeUSA Matters
BridgeUSA programs positively affect participants, host families and employers, local communities, and U.S. interests overall. We know this because participants and hosts tell us so.
For example, according to studies by the Alliance for International Exchange:
97% of Summer Work Travel employers say participants contribute to a positive culture in the workplace.
84% of Camp Counselors report a more positive view of America after working at a camp.
76% of Summer Work Travel and 73% of Intern participants reported a positive change in views regarding the United States.
64% of Summer Work Travel participants have a higher opinion of the way Americans do business.
60% of host employers would experience a negative impact if the Intern and Trainee programs were no longer available.
BridgeUSA Positively Affects U.S. Interests
While BridgeUSA programs can always be strengthened, explained, and expanded, they continue to offer important advantages to the United States — primarily in the areas of public diplomacy, economic prosperity, and national security.
Learn more about how BridgeUSA positively affects U.S. interests below and learn more about the history of the program here.
-
Approximately 300,000 exchange visitors from 200 countries and territories are welcomed to the U.S. each year as BridgeUSA participants. Critically, a majority of these participants are under the age of 26, a key demographic whose opinions about the United States are shaped by the relationships built and experiences had during their programs.
BridgeUSA programs also influence participants’ thinking about the U.S. approach to democracy, freedom, civic participation, and individual responsibility as they live and work alongside Americans.
-
The thirteen BridgeUSA programs project U.S. soft power and combat misinformation. Participants are deeply integrated into urban and rural communities across all fifty states under their own terms, where everyday, unscripted interactions with Americans add credibility and authenticity to their exchange experience.
Plus, during their time in the United States, many participants improve their nuanced English language skills, thereby allowing them to see, learn, and more deeply understand content about the U.S. for themselves, rather than through a translation. They can think critically about what they hear, because information does not pass through someone else’s filter.
-
BridgeUSA contributes to U.S. employment and earnings by providing temporary, supplemental workforce support to U.S. employers. A report from Sprintax indicates that J-1 participants inject $1.7 billion into the US economy.
Participants keep most their earnings in the communities where they work, adding to the local cycle of prosperity.
These programs also advance U.S. prosperity in the long run by helping to build critical workforce skills for the future among Americans.
