A free, two-week adventure for graduating seniors at Northwest Rankin High School is coming to Flowood this summer through the American Exchange Project, a free, first-of-its-kind domestic summer exchange program that gives graduating high school seniors an adventure like no other. First, an all-expenses-paid trip to a community very different from their own (Travel Week), and then the chance to welcome students from across the nation to their hometown for the same incredible experience (Hometown Week). 

The American Exchange Project, which has been steadily growing year over year, aims to show the next generation that despite our perceived differences, we are fundamentally similar—and to empower young people to become agents of change in their own communities and beyond. Travel Weeks are fully funded through generous contributions from organizations and supporters who share the American Exchange Project’s vision of a more connected America. 

During a Hometown Week with the American Exchange Project, local students will guide traveling students through what it looks like to work, play, hang out, and grow up in their town—and they get to enjoy the experience of rediscovery alongside them. From June 18-25, students from California, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, and Vermont will join nine Northwest Rankin High School seniors and stay with host families in Flowood. Their itinerary includes hands-on experiences with local businesses, arts and culture, history, and service. Activities will include:

• A hometown tour led by NWRHS students from the Class of 2025
• Volunteering at Stewpot Ministries
• Visiting local attractions in and around the Jackson metro area

During a Travel Week with the American Exchange Project, students stay with a local host family to learn what life in the community they’re visiting is like from the people who live there. During their eight-day visit to Mississippi, they will: 

• Attend community events, like Juneteenth Jubilee at the Two Mississippi Museums
• Experience the country firsthand through cultural immersion at notable sites like the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and The Forks of the Road Site located in Natchez
• Explore professional development opportunities that will expand their networks and connect them to different industries, through the Chamber of Flowood & Visitor Center
• Participate in a community service project, like HeARTWorks, which offers a chance for them to give back to the communty 

For access to students, parents, and program leaders, or to request a full schedule, please contact
Tessa Hughes, Exchange Manager, (769) 823-9342.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN EXCHANGE PROJECT:

The American Exchange Project is a free, nonpartisan domestic youth exchange program for recently graduated high school seniors in which a student from Dodge City, Kansas might spend a life-changing week in Palo Alto, California, and then another week host students from Kenner, Louisiana, Boston, Massachusetts, and Miami, Florida for a week in their own hometown. Founded in 2019, this first-of-its-kind exchange is capturing civic hearts and minds. The program has been featured in media outlets ranging from local town newspapers to CBS Sunday Morning and Fox & Friends. Learn more about the American Exchange Project at www.americanexchangeproject.org