What American Cultural Exchange Service does

American Cultural Exchange Service (ACES) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The organization administers U.S. Department of State-funded and other federally sponsored cultural exchange programs, including the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) program, the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program, the U.S. High School Homestay (HSH) program, the English Plus Program, the Sister Cities International Homestay program, a Portland Metro Homestay program, and custom inbound and outbound exchange offerings. ACES operates a two-sided exchange model: international participants are recruited and screened through an Overseas Partners network spanning more than 50 countries, then placed domestically with U.S. host families, host schools, and supported by trained Local Coordinators. The outbound flow sends American students abroad for critical-language and cultural immersion experiences.

Name

American Cultural Exchange Service

Legal name

American Cultural Exchange Service

Website

https://www.exploretheworld.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACES is a Bellevue, Washington-based non-profit founded in 1995 that administers U.S. government-sponsored youth cultural exchange programs (NSLI-Y, YES, FLEX, and others) for international and American students, using an Overseas Partners network across 50+ countries and U.S. host families and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Cultural Exchange Program Administration: ACES administers federally-funded cultural exchange programs including NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth) and YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study). The organization operates as a non-profit and appears to receive funding through U.S. government educational and cultural exchange initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACES is a non-profit organization that administers international educational and cultural exchange programs for youth, running both inbound programs (placing international secondary-school students with U.S. host families and in U.S. high schools under YES, FLEX, HSH, English Plus, Sister Cities, and Portland Metro Homestay brands) and outbound programs (sending American students abroad for language immersion via NSLI-Y and YES Abroad). Program delivery is supported through a network of Overseas Partners, Local Coordinators, screened host families, and partnered U.S. high schools and host universities.

Product overview

ACES (American Cultural Exchange Service) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of cultural exchange programs organized into inbound programs (bringing international students to the U.S.) and outbound programs (sending U.S. students abroad). The inbound portfolio includes Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES), Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), U.S. High School Homestay (HSH), English Plus, Sister Cities International, Portland Metro Homestay, and Custom Inbound Programs. The outbound portfolio includes the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y), YES Abroad, and Custom Outbound Programs. Programs connect participants with host families, local coordinators, and host schools to facilitate immersive cultural and educational exchanges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Explore The World: The primary website domain and brand identity for ACES programs and information

Products and services

• Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study Program (YES) Inbound cultural exchange program for youth from countries with significant Muslim populations, placing students in U.S. high schools and with host families for academic-year or summer experiences.
• Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) Inbound exchange program for secondary school students from designated countries to study in U.S. schools and live with American host families.
• U.S. High School Homestay Program (HSH) Cultural exchange program placing international students in U.S. high schools with host family accommodations for immersive academic and cultural experiences.
• English Plus Program (EPP) Inbound program combining English language instruction with cultural immersion activities for international participants.
• Sister Cities International High School Homestay Program (SCI) Homestay exchange program connecting students through Sister Cities International relationships between U.S. and international communities.
• Portland Metro Homestay Program Regional homestay program placing international students with host families in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area for high school enrollment.
• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) U.S. Department of State-funded outbound program sending American students abroad to study critical foreign languages (Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Arabic) through immersive summer or academic-year experiences.
• Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study Program (YES Abroad) Outbound reciprocal program sending American students abroad to countries with significant Muslim populations for academic-year exchanges.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ArmeniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner country for ACES cultural exchange programs. Partners assist with recruitment, testing, screening, and pre-departure orientation of students from their respective countries.
• BrazilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner country for ACES cultural exchange programs.
• ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner country for ACES cultural exchange programs including NSLI-Y Chinese language programs in Xi'an.
• TaiwancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner for NSLI-Y Taiwan programs conducted at Shih Chien University in Taipei.
• South KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner for NSLI-Y Korean language programs at Dankook University in Yongin.
• LatviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner for NSLI-Y Russian language programs in Riga, working with the Baltic Center for language instruction.
• TurkeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Partner for NSLI-Y Turkish language programs in Bursa.
• Shih Chien University (Taiwan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost university for NSLI-Y Taiwan Chinese language programs in Taipei.
• Dankook University (Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost university for NSLI-Y Korean language programs in Yongin, providing classroom facilities and peer language partners.
• Baltic Center (Latvia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanguage center in Riga providing Russian language instruction for NSLI-Y Latvia program participants.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE administers high school study abroad and cultural exchange programs in the U.S. and overseas, with similar federal and institutional contracting relationships and a comparable high school homestay model.
• Youth For Understanding (YFU): YFU operates inbound and outbound high school cultural exchange programs with a comparable volunteer host-family and overseas partner model, competing for the same U.S. Department of State-sponsored contracts.
• International Student Exchange (ISE): ISE places international high school students with host families across the U.S. for academic-year and semester exchanges, directly mirroring ACES' U.S. High School Homestay Program.
• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door runs international high school student exchange and short-term homestay programs, closely overlapping ACES' HSH, FLEX, and inbound offerings.
• Aspect Foundation: Aspect Foundation runs FLEX and YES inbound high school exchange programs for U.S. Department of State, directly competing with ACES for federally-funded exchange administration.
• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange administers high school inbound/outbound programs and au pair placements, sharing ACES' host-family model and cultural-exchange mission.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is one of the largest international high school student exchange organizations globally, running government-sponsored and fee-based inbound/outbound programs very similar to ACES' YES, FLEX, and homestay offerings.
• STS Foundation: STS Foundation administers student exchange and study abroad programs, with overlapping homestay and inbound high school placements.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is a global education company offering language immersion, cultural exchange, and study abroad programs at much larger scale; relevant as a broader incumbent in the same exchange/language-immersion space.

Others

• Sister Cities International: Sister Cities International is the underlying municipal network that powers ACES' Sister Cities Homestay Program and many peer exchanges; comparable as an enabling ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/exploretheworldaces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Cultural Exchange Service