SHARE! High School Exchange Program

What SHARE! High School Exchange Program does

SHARE! High School Exchange Program is a CSIET-designated, U.S. Department of State-regulated nonprofit operated by the Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT), a California-incorporated educational foundation founded in 1974 and designated to sponsor the J-1 Teenager High School Exchange Program in 1980. The program matches international high school students aged 15-18 from over 30 countries (including Germany, Sweden, China, Brazil, Italy, Japan, and Ecuador) with volunteer American host families for semester or full-academic-year stays during which the student attends a local U.S. high school. Host families provide room and board at no cost; students pay program fees set by overseas partner organizations in their home countries plus $200-$300 per month for personal expenses, with EPC-paid referral bonuses of $300-$500 to incentivize new host recruitment.

The organization operates a national office in Santa Monica, California, and four regional offices (Southwest & Central, Northeast, Western & Mountain, Cedar Lakes) staffed by Regional Directors who oversee a field network of independent Exchange Program Coordinators (EPCs) responsible for recruiting, screening, and supporting host families. EPCs are compensated $650-$1,300 per placement, while overseas partner organizations in 30+ countries handle student recruitment, fee collection, and pre-departure orientation. Beyond the flagship high school program, ERDT runs four sub-brand programs: Work & Travel (18+), Farmstays/Ranchstays (16-30), Short-Term Groups with language and cultural study, and Short-Term Homestays for English language immersion (ages 15-30, 2-6 weeks).

The technology stack is standard and non-proprietary: Formstack for applications, email for communications, and video content for program orientation, with no AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Revenue mechanics are professional-services style: per-student program fees allocated across airfare, insurance (10%), placement and supervision (30%), advertising and materials (20%), and U.S. office overhead (40%), with the bulk flowing through overseas partner collections. The program's defensibility rests on its regulatory designation, 50-year brand, two-sided host-family and overseas-partner network, and child-safety training partnership with Darkness to Light, rather than on any technological differentiation.

Name

SHARE! High School Exchange Program

Legal name

Educational Resource Development Trust

Website

https://erdtshare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SHARE! is a nonprofit U.S. State Department-designated program matching international high school students (ages 15-18) from 30+ countries with American volunteer host families for semester or academic-year cultural exchanges, operating through a four-region coordinator network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips (EDAIAHAD), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)

Keywords

• High school exchange
• Cultural exchange programs
• Student exchange services
• Host family placement
• International student hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Program Fees: International students pay fees established by overseas partners in their home countries. The fee covers airfare, pre-arrival orientation, insurance (10%), placement and supervision (30%), advertising and materials (20%), and US office overhead (40%).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SHARE! High School Exchange Program is a nonprofit-sponsored cultural exchange service that matches international high school students aged 15-18 with volunteer American host families for a semester or full academic year, while students attend local U.S. high schools. The program is operated by Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT), a U.S. Department of State-designated exchange visitor program sponsor, and supports students from over 30 countries. Complementary programs under ERDT include Work & Travel for young adults 18+, Farmstays/Ranchstays, Short Term Groups with language and cultural study, and Short Term Homestays.

Product overview

SHARE! High School Exchange Program operates as a multi-program platform under the Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT) nonprofit educational foundation. The core offering is the SHARE! High School Exchange Program, which matches international high school students aged 15-18 with American host families for cultural exchange experiences. Beyond this flagship program, ERDT offers complementary programs including the Work & Travel Program for young adults 18+, Farmstays and Ranchstays for ages 16-30 in agricultural settings, Short Term Group programs with language study, and Short Term Homestays for English language immersion. These programs collectively serve ages 15+ and include both semester/academic year placements and short-term stays ranging from 2-6 weeks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ERDT Work & Travel Program: Program bringing young adults 18 and older to live and work in American communities with seasonal employment and immigration work papers.
• Farmstays and Ranchstays
• Short Term Groups with Language and Cultural Study Programs
• Short Term Homestays and English Language Immersion

Products and services

• SHARE! High School Exchange Program Flagship program that connects international high school students aged 15-18 with vetted American volunteer host families for a semester or full academic year, while students attend local U.S. high schools. Includes pre-arrival and post-arrival orientations, full insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency support, and monthly progress reports.
• ERDT Work & Travel Program Program that brings young adults aged 18 and older to the U.S. to live and work in American communities during seasonal employment, supported by immigration work papers, insurance, and ERDT National Office support.
• Farmstays and Ranchstays Program offering international visitors aged 16-30 the opportunity to live and work in agricultural environments on U.S. farming and ranching family properties, with a 4-6 hour per day work commitment.
• Short Term Groups with Language and Cultural Study Programs Summer and vacation period programs where U.S. families host international students as part of pre-arranged schedules that include language improvement courses and cultural activities, coordinated by local SHARE! representatives.
• Short Term Homestays and English Language Immersion Program for U.S. families to host international visitors aged 15-30 for 2-6 week stays at different times of the year, focused on genuine cultural exchange, family interaction, and English language immersion.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 700 international students placed annually with host families
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980ERDT was designated in 1980 by the United States Information Agency (now part of U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) to sponsor a Teenager High School Exchange Program. ERDT/SHARE! operates under strict U.S. Department of State regulations for exchange visitor programs.
• Overseas Partner OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partner organizations in students' home countries (over 30 countries) recruit students, collect program fees, conduct orientations, and coordinate placement arrangements with SHARE! National Office.
• Darkness to LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHARE! partnered with Darkness to Light, whose evidence-based Stewards of Children curriculum provides training to coordinators on preventing, recognizing, and reacting responsibly to child sexual abuse.
• ERDT Work & Travel ProgramminorOthersRelated ERDT program bringing young adults 18+ to live and work in American communities with seasonal employment and immigration support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• World Learning: World Learning runs the Experiment in International Living and other State Department-designated high school exchange programs as part of a broader portfolio of intercultural education programs, making it a comparable but larger and more diversified incumbent.
• Intrax (formerly Ayusa): Intrax operates Work & Travel, AuPairCare, and high school exchange programs under State Department designations, with a portfolio structurally similar to ERDT's multi-program platform though at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a CSIET-listed sponsor operating high school, Work & Travel, and short-term homestay programs very similar in structure to SHARE!'s portfolio, including language immersion and farmstay sub-programs.
• STS Foundation (Student Travel Schools): STS operates international student exchange and educational travel programs, including high school placements with host families and short-term cultural/language programs, overlapping with SHARE!'s offerings.
• Aspect Foundation: Aspect Foundation is a nonprofit CSIET-accredited sponsor of high school exchange programs, directly competing with SHARE! for inbound international students and American volunteer host families.
• ICES (International Cultural Exchange Services): ICES is a smaller CSIET-listed exchange sponsor running academic-year and semester high school exchange programs similar to SHARE!, typically competing in similar mid-sized sponsor tier.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a major nonprofit exchange organization operating U.S. State Department-designated high school exchange programs alongside its broader study abroad portfolio, competing head-to-head with SHARE! for host families and inbound students.
• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is a designated J-1 high school exchange sponsor placing international students with U.S. host families for academic year and semester programs, directly overlapping with SHARE!'s flagship offering.
• Academic Year in America (AYA): AYA is a CSIET-designated sponsor specializing in placing international high school students with American host families for academic year and semester programs, directly comparable to SHARE!'s flagship offering.
• AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS-USA): AFS-USA is one of the largest and oldest CSIET-designated high school exchange sponsors in the U.S., directly competing with SHARE! for international high school student placements with American host families on a semester/academic-year basis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVLv8Oi_zSJRpIBEgdagnCg
• Facebookfacebook.com/erdtshare?ref=hl
• Instagraminstagram.com/erdtshare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/share-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 SHARE! High School Exchange Program