Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1947, however has changed name over the years and began operating as CIEE in 1967. Its mission is to help individuals gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world.

Description:
CIEE began operating the USA High School Program in 1995 and the first students arrived in August 1996. Previously, CIEE's exchange activities had focused on college students and short-term high school groups, rather than on individual high school students. In starting up the USA High School Program, CIEE wanted to offer overseas partners the best quality program for students who could succeed in American high schools and contribute to their Host Famiy and host communities.

History:
CIEE has developed a wide variety of programs and services primarily for students and teachers at secondary through university levels. Founded as the Council on Student Travel in 1947, the organization in its early years was known as "the Council." In 1967, the organization's name changed to the Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE. The organization was referred to as "the Council" or "the Council on Student travel" (CST) until 1967 and thereafter as "CIEE."
For the 1996-1997 school year, CIEE placed ;60 Brazilian and Polish students. The following year, we were able to place almost 200 students from many countries including Hong Kong, Ghana and countries throughout Europe and Latin America. From these small beginnings, CIEE has grown tremendously. For the 2001-2002 school year, CIEE placed almost 1,000 students from over 30 different countries.
In addition, we have been designated by the US Congress and the German Bundestag to represent a highly selective grant program for students from the United States and Germany, the Congress Bundestag Youth Scholarship Program. CIEE also works with the US Department of State to administer the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program to scholarship students from the former Soviet Republics. In 2004 CIEE began working with the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program that provides scholarships from the US Department of State for high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend an academic year in the US. In 2006, CIEE started working on the American Serbia and Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange Program (A-SMYLE). Wioth this program CIEE works with high school students from Servia and Montenegro who have been selected by the US Department of State to come to the US on a 10 month exchange program.
The US Department of State designates CIEE as an "Exchange Visitor Program." The US Department of State designation permits CIEE to issue visas that enable the exchange students to live and study in the US for a semester or a year.
We presently have over 1300 high school students from 55 different countries, and continue to strive for a quality program and making a difference in our world.

Contact people:

Edwina MacDonald, Regional Director, (888) 239-1962, (email) Judy Staliwe, Regional Director, (800) 949-0819, (email) Anna Evans, Support Staff, (617) 648-8418, (email)

Office fax number: (617) 247-2911

Address:

104 Elizabeth St E Hawley, MN 56549 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.ciee.org

Directions:

NE end of town in original block one of town. Follow Main Stret off of State Highway 10 to 1st Ave - turn left on Elizabeth St. It is a two story blue house on north side of. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: No bus stops, Hwy 10 - 20-30 minutes minute walk