Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange was established in 1983 to commemorate 300 years of German settlement in the United States. Sponsored by the legislative bodies of each country, it offers high school students and young professionals in Germany and the United States one year of funded exchange study. Three different merit based exchange program scholarships are offered.

The high school program sends American students, either juniors or seniors, to Germany to complete one year of high school. To qualify for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange High School Program, a student must be 15 to 18 years of age, be a U.S. Citizen, and have at least a 3.0 GPA. 250 - 280 students participate in the high school program per year. After spending one month in orientation and becoming familiar with the German language, students spend the remainder of the year living with host families while attending high school.

There is also the Young Professional Exchange Program in which professionals ages 18 - 24, with experience working in their field, go to the other country for one year of academic study, and work with a company. The areas of work and study are typically agriculture, technology, business, and vocational fields. One semester is spent studying, and the remaining five months are spent in an internship, doing hands-on training. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange has a similar program for high school seniors who wish to study a specific vocation. The Young Vocationalists Exchange Program sends Americans, 18 years of age, to Germany to study and work for one year.

All programs offered by the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange are funded by scholarships that pay for all travel involved, language training, seminars, emergency medical insurance, and housing accommodations. The programs begin the summer of the year following the application deadline.