Dear Friends of AYUSA International:

This Year marks the 22nd anniversary of AYUSA International's successful efforts to promote global learning and leadership through our high school exchange programs.

As we commemorate over 20 years in youth exchange, there is much to celebrate. This year, AYUSA became an industry leader in student diversity, with record program exchanges involving 62 different countries. These students from around the world have the opportunity to attend high school in the United States and overseas, live with a volunteer host family, and learn to understand and appreciate the diversity of cultures that make up our modern world.

Thanks to the generosity of this year's individual and corporate sponsors, AYUSA was able to award scholarships to many more American students. Recipients include academic achievers, budding artists and spirited volunteers whose program participation was made possible only with scholarship support. These outstanding students are now studying abroad, developing new abilities, and honing leadership skills that will serve them well throughout their careers.

This year we also launched our redesigned website at www.ayusa.org. The website enabled AYUSA to decrease operational costs while improving program services to our students, and to the volunteer staff, host families and communities that host them.

As we look to the future, 2003 holds great promise. With the launch of our new scholarship initiative, Youth Leadership Scholars, AYUSA hopes to greatly expand the number of scholarships available to underserved youth from diverse ethcnic and economic backgrounds.

Now more than ever, it is important to promote cultural and international understanding among tomorrow's leaders. We hope you join us as we continue to provide exchange and early leadership experiences for the world's high school students.

John F. Wilhelm, President
AYUSA International