What is TWO WORLDS UNITED?

Two Worlds United believes that travel is education and the world is a classroom.  Two Worlds United programs allow students to combine classroom work with hands-on experience and total immersion in many of the world’s best destinations.  Two Worlds United has over 15 years of experience in providing international intercultural learning programs for youth, our focus is to provide individualized support to each participant and to provide a quality program through personalized programs.

Each Two Worlds United program provides cross-cultural orientation to prepare students for the experience of living and traveling abroad. During orientation, participants learn about the customs and characteristics of the country in which they will be living in order to help them fully experience and enjoy their stay abroad.

The goal of the Two Worlds United program is to bring unity among cultures, introducing youth into a new world in which they can share their own culture with those encountered abroad.  Since Two Worlds United  programs focus on uniting two cultures, the contribution of the student to the host culture is as important as the contribution of the host culture to the student.  For this reason Two Worlds United  screens and selects participants that are highly motivated to learn about customs and cultures other than their own. Selected participants are chosen for their adaptability, maturity, responsibility, and overall positive attitude and behavior.

A TWO WORLDS UNITED program complements your formal education in important and exciting ways. Imagine living overseas for anything from one to twelve months. You’ll be placed with a host family and attend a local school. You’ll live like a local and become immersed in the culture. You’ll learn the foreign language
 and gain valuable international experience. You’ll learn a lot about yourself.

Being a Two Worlds United exchange student is a challenging, rewarding and fun experience. You’re not a tourist or a guest.

You’re actually living in your host country as a member of that community.

Two Worlds United student exchange programs promote tolerance, maturity and independence. They also encourage an international perspective. In a very competitive world these are highly sought after qualities.

Benefits:

Two Worlds United student exchange programs are an investment for life. The experience can be beneficial in many different and valuable ways:

• Learn a foreign language
   and open career doors you didn’t know existed
• Get to know how others live and come to see the world from another perspective
• Test yourself and acquire independence and maturity
• Make new friends and appreciate old ones even more
• Gain experience and judgment
• Learn about the world first hand

Long after you return home your exchange experience will influence and inform your life. It will provide you with a substantial backdrop from which to make future study and career choices. Employers are increasingly alert to the benefits of a Two Worlds United student exchange program. Your experience will set you apart from the crowd and mark you as someone who has proven themselves in challenging circumstances. Experience is everything. 

Host Families

Living with a host family substantially enriches the language and cultural experience. The homestay program is surely the best way to achieve total immersion in the English language and American culture. Families provide a comfortable and safe environment in which to assimilate to another country. Many students make lifelong friends with their host families

Eligibility

You are eligible to participate on an exchange program with Two Worlds United if you meet the following requirements:

• still at school when you apply
• in good physical and mental health
• have maintained the equivalent or better than a C grade average since Year 9
• are mature and open-minded
• are flexible, adaptable, responsible and ready to learn
• are between 15 and 18 years old (exceptions can be made for 14 and 19 year olds)

Rules for TWO WORLDS UNITED Students

 Host Family Regulations:

Students must respect the privacy of the Host Family and shall not use the personal belongings of the Host Family without their prior consent.

Students must obey Host Family regulations regarding curfew, smoking, drinking, dating, and household chores for which they are responsible. 

Students may not have guests in the Host Family home without their Host Family’s consent and supervision.

Students must discuss appropriate use of the telephone and internet with the Host Family in order to under-stand what billable charges are incurred by use.

School:

When the TWO WORLDS UNITED Program involves classes or courses as a  component of the Program students are responsible for attending school and achieving satisfactory grades of at least a “C” (or equivalent) or higher. 

Students must follow all school attendance requirements.  Students who are expelled from school due to poor behavior, low grades or absenteeism will be dismissed from the Program with no reimbursement of Fees. 

Local, State and National Laws:

Students are subject to the authority and laws of their Host Country and must obey all national, state, and local laws and school regulations.   Exchange students enjoy no special immunities from prosecution.   

Driving: 

Students may not drive motor vehicles during their Program, even if they are of legal driving age or are in possession of a valid driver’s license.

Self-endangerment: 

Self-endangering acts are not allowed including involvement in activities/behavior that could result in personal harm, including (but not limited to): frequenting dangerous places, association with criminals, intoxication, purchase or possession of weapons, etc…

Conduct:  Student’s shall refrain from using abusive language towards TWO WORLDS UNITED staff, school faculty, Host Family, local representatives or participants; any form of sexual harassment, disorderly, indecent or obscene conduct, gestures or actions; theft or vandalism; committing property damage of any kind, including, without limitation, to any of the TWO WORLDS UNITED facilities, the Host Family’s property or school property.

Alcohol & Drugs:  Students may not drink or purchase alcoholic beverages including beer and wine. Possible dismissal from the TWO WORLDS UNITED Program may result if the Student is found to have purchased or consumed alcoholic beverages.  Students may use only those drugs prescribed by their doctor (or medicines available over-the-counter in the Host Country).  Use or possession of illegal drugs during the TWO WORLDS UNITED Program is grounds for immediate dismissal.  Students may not buy, sell, possess or use drugs that are illegal in their home or Host Country. Exchange Students arrested for drug possession will face the same penalties as citizens of the Host Country, which may include mandatory fines, prison terms or severe penalties.

Travel:  Students are not allowed to travel while school is in session without the written permission of their school and other terms of this Agreement.  For travel outside of church or school-sponsored activities, participants are allowed to travel overnight on trips only if the natural parents sign the Parental Travel Release Form and have written permission from TWO WORLDS UNITED, their Representative, and Host Family. Students are only allowed to travel if they are not missing school.  All students must provide all necessary documentation and permission to their Representative and TWO WORLDS UNITED at least 2 weeks prior to the trip. To travel after the Program, Parents must give written permission and sign a Program Release Form.  Students may not visit their home country during the Program without written authorization from TWO WORLDS UNITED.  Home country travel during the Program may be approved by TWO WORLDS UNITED in specific circumstances as deemed appropriate and permissible by TWO WORLDS UNITED.  Students may not hitchhike or travel independently.  

Life-Changing Decisions: TWO WORLDS UNITED Students may not initiate “life-changing” decisions while on the Program.  This includes changing religion (though a Student may explore the tenets of any faith), pregnancy, and/or marriage.  Students may also be dismissed from the Program if they develop a life threatening medical disorder such as anorexia or bulimia while on the Program.  Participants under-stand that while TWO WORLDS UNITED reviews each Student’s situation on a case-by-case basis, infraction of any of the above rules and/or unacceptable behavior may be grounds for dismissal from the TWO WORLDS UNITED Program.  TWO WORLDS UNITED reserves the sole and final right for decisions on Student dismissals and may return a Student to their home country immediately at any time at their own expense.