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Program Updates

by cfletcher 5 years ago in Greenheart Exchange, Greenheart International, Greenheart Travel, Tagged: #Coronavirus #COVID-19 #exchange programs #Greenheart Exchange programs #Greenheart High School Programs #Greenheart program updates #Greenheart Travel programs #injunction #j1 visa suspension #proclamation , Comment
 
Program Updates

Update – June 2021

It has been a challenging year. However, with COVID vaccinations on the rise, more borders are opening and more travel is possible. Here is an update on where things stand as of mid-June 2021.

Embassy’s Visa Appointments  

Please note that in some U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, visa appointments are very limited due to COVID-19 related health and security concerns. Please continue to check with the individual embassies and consulates for the latest service information, including emergency visa appointment requests. Per Department of State’s Consular Affairs, requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the hope continues that resources for additional visa appointments will be available soon.  

For more information, please visit:   U.S. Department of State / J1 Visas

CDC’s New Requirement for All Airline Passengers Arriving in the United States

Effective January 26, 2021–all air passengers traveling into the United States will be required to present a negative viral COVID-19 test before boarding the plane. All passengers will be required to get either a PCR test or an Antigen test 3 days before their flight departs for the U.S., and will need to provide written documentation of the laboratory test results (paper or electronic) to the airline prior to boarding. This applies to ALL air passengers above the age of 2 entering the U.S. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of State.

Update on Greenheart Programs (as of June 14, 2021)

Today, several Greenheart programs are running (see below). We evaluate the situation daily, and we are committed to running as many cultural exchange programs as allowed. For more information specific to Greenheart programs, please click here to reach your Greenheart contact.

High School Programs

  • J1 High School:  Greenheart welcomed participants from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam and placed them in 30 states throughout the U.S. for the 2020-21 school year.  We are preparing for more than 500 high school exchange students for the 2021-22 school year.
  • F1 High School: We received international students for the 2020-21 school year and are currently placing for the 2021-22 school year. Greenheart will offer the F1 program in over 100 schools around the U.S.
  • Short Term Programs: We are working with our international partners for Independent Homestays in late 2021, while waiting to receive news on the U.S. government’s lifting of the travel ban for tourists from Europe, Brazil, and China. Greenheart is also exploring opportunities for our Group Homestay Programs to resume in 2022.

Help students fulfill their lifelong dream of studying in the U.S.!

If you are interested in helping to make that dream come true, consider becoming a Greenheart Local Coordinator. Greenheart is recruiting and screening for new Local Coordinators for placing High School exchange students in 2021. If you are interested in becoming a Local Coordinator, please click here to learn more.

If you are interested in hosting an international high school exchange student, please click here to apply.

We are working closely with participants, host families, and host schools to meet the challenges presented by COVID-19. Incoming students are  asked to follow all local, state, and national policies concerning COVID-19 prevention.  The upcoming school year is shaping up to be a more typical year but participants are prepared for potential disruptions in schooling that may increase the student’s time at home, for periods of e-learning, or rotating attendance schedules.

Greenheart Travel

Greenheart Travel is continuing to evaluate each of our programs 3-6 weeks prior to the slated program start date. Decisions depend on if the border is open, if it’s safe, if consulates are issuing visas, etc. These are our current programs:

More information can be found on the Greenheart Travel website.

Greenheart Exchange – Professional Exchange Programs

The Power of Travel

This remains an uncertain time, and there is uneasiness about the continued spread of new variants of the Coronavirus. Greenheart believes in the power of travel, in its ability to change lives, to transform our perspectives, and to better understand each other and the world around us.  We also believe in looking out for one another during these difficult times.

Greenheart is looking forward to the time when the pandemic is behind us. We are preparing new programs, in exciting places, and with many opportunities to learn and to grow through the power of cultural exchange.  We launched Greenheart Connects in September 2020–an online monthly series designed to inspire the global community to make the world a better place. We hope you’ll join us there.

Stay safe!  Have a great summer!