International Exchange Day 2019 was a huge success!
International Exchange Day (formerly known as “J Day”) is an annual nationwide celebration of international education and cultural exchanges. Founded in 2014 by the Alliance for International Exchange, the event centers around the motto #eatplaygive and encourages international exchange participants and American hosts to celebrate cultural diversity, give back to the community and have fun!
Au Pair in America celebrated International Exchange Day 2019 on Monday, August 5th at Waveny Park in New Canaan, Connecticut. More than 100 au pairs, host children, camp counselors and Au Pair in America staff attended the event.
Participants enjoyed the beautiful weather while eating breakfast sandwiches, playing games and socializing. Au Pair in America banners were displayed in the park to help raise awareness for the Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Programs and its benefits to both au pairs and host families. The face-painting booth was a huge hit with the kids, who enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other host children from different clusters.
Chiara Saltaformaggio, an Au Pair in America staff member and former au pair from Germany, expressed that the event nurtured friendships and cultural exchanges between au pairs and children from seven different clusters who otherwise would not get the opportunity to meet one another. “The event was great for kids and au pairs from different areas to get to know each other and exchange cultures while bringing awareness to the impact of community engagement.”
The event also marked the success of the 4th annual shoe drive! A group of over 40 au pairs collected, cleaned and sorted approximately 500 pairs of donated shoes. The collected shoes are being donated to Person-to-Person, an organization based in Darien, Connecticut. Person-to-Person focuses on providing resources to those in need while educating the community on the impact of poverty and injustice.
International Exchange Day 2019 successfully embraced the philosophy of #eatplaygive and united people from all corners of the globe to share their cultures while giving back to the community.
