School Districts

Interstate Scholars works with school districts; all participating schools will be within these districts. Schools play an important role in recommending the program to students, providing a location for information sessions, and, of course, welcoming students from another region into the community.

Why Participate?

Interstate Scholars is an opportunity to connect to another school community in another state. Scholars will be able to learn from the successes of the schools they visit, and bring new ideas and energy home to their own school. Alumni will be bolstered in their journey to becoming community leaders, both at home and at school, and will have received valuable experience and advice to encourage them to continue their educations.

What Is Involved?

Participating schools are a major avenue for informing students about the program, in contexts such as homerooms, school announcements, and on the school website. They are also involved in recruiting host families in the area, via emails, flyers, etc. For students, parents, and potential host families who would like to know more about Interstate Scholars, the schools provide a site for information sessions: daytime sessions for students, nighttime sessions for parents and potential host families. Once the program has alumni, they will be able to provide additional information to interested students, and participate in local fundraising efforts.

Interstate Scholars will primarily approach school districts first, and then approach any schools the district recommends for participation. Districts that participate will form a Statement of Understanding, followed by a Memorandum of Understanding and a formal contract with Interstate Scholars.

During the Program

Scholars will travel to visit your school as part of a one-week exchange; scholars from your school will travel to another school during a different week. During the visit week, visiting scholars will spend Monday and Tuesday shadowing a partner scholar at your school—this scholar will shadow them during the other week of the program. On Wednesday the visiting scholars will take a day trip to learn about institutions of further education in the area, such as colleges and vocational schools. On Thursday and Friday they will assist at a local volunteer organization. They will be housed by local host families.

During the two days of the program that visiting scholars attend the school, the school will provide a primary contact on site to help coordinate and monitor the scholars. This contact will immediately inform Interstate Scholars if any incidents occur, and will be responsible for collecting any devices, such as cell phones, lent to the students. The school will also review and approve the scholars’ entire itinerary, both for visiting scholars and any scholars who are students at the school and travel to another state as part of the program. The school will provide transportation for scholars to and from the host family’s home on the days the scholars attend the school; visiting scholars will be paired with participating students from the school, and will attend classes with their partners on these two days. If possible, the school will also provide transportation on other days of the program, bussing scholars to and from institutions of further education and volunteer organizations.

How to Join

Interested school districts can contact the Interstate Scholars School Liaison group with *this form*. We’re looking for safe, diverse schools in different geographic regions of the US, with varied spring break weeks.