Greenheart Exchange Students are the windows to the world
Published 9:51 am Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Emma, Greta, Elisa, Isadora, Lilli, Matylda, Sabrina, Antonia, Domenico, Antonin, Noah
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Immerse and Enrich Your Life Through the Greenheart Exchange Students Program. Greenheart Exchange, a non-profit organization founded in 1985, offers international exchange programs for students, teachers, and young professionals. With a mission to foster cultural understanding and global connections, the organization facilitates exchange programs, work and travel opportunities, and volunteer experiences.
To learn more about the heart of this organization, Cynthia George, a Local Coordinator for Greenheart Exchange, shares her inspiring journey into the program. George first learned about Greenheart Exchange through a local coordinator she met at a picnic organized by the Japanese Association in Jacksonville, Florida. Reflecting on her beginnings, she said, “I didn’t really seek out to be a local coordinator with Greenheart—it sort of just happened accidentally. Cultural exchange has always been something dear to my heart.” George’s passion for cultural exchange stems from her own experience as an exchange student from Malaysia, where she represented her Chinese ethnicity. During a three-month stay in Europe, organized by the Lions Club, she lived with a host family in the Netherlands.
George describes her exchange experience as transformative and deeply educational. “I taught my host family about Malaysia, brought them handmade gifts, wore my Malaysian national attire, and cooked Malaysian cuisine,” she shared. Her profound appreciation for her home country inspired her to share Malaysian culture with others and fueled her passion for fostering cultural exchange.
For the past nine months, George has been a dedicated Local Coordinator, earning recognition for her ability to “match” the right student to the right host family. She focuses on aligning personalities and interests to create harmonious connections. Currently, she has 11 students placed in areas across Southwest Georgia, including Tifton, Ashburn, and Waycross, as well as in High Springs, Florida.
Eager to expand the program’s reach, George hopes to introduce Bainbridge, Georgia, to the Greenheart Exchange program. “I have not placed any students in the Bainbridge area, but I’m working towards bringing more diversity to South Georgia,” George explained. “Instead of going abroad, how about bringing diversity home? The residents and community in Bainbridge have so much to gain from this program in terms of culture, language, and cuisine.”
Greenheart Exchange is actively seeking host families, with 400 students and local coordinators still awaiting placements for the 2025–2026 school year. While the goal is to place students before the academic year begins in early August, host family applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
To learn more about becoming a host family, visit Greenheart Exchange’s website. For additional information or inquiries, you can contact Cynthia George directly at 229-225-6812 or via email at cg25.greenheart@gmail.com.
