Educational Resource Development Trust (ERDT), a nonprofit educational foundation, was established in 1974 and has, since its inception, been successfully involved in working with international students — both individually and in groups — for short-term and long-term educational and home stay programs. In the 1970s, ERDT was primarily involved in administering scholarships for employees of foreign government agencies and multinational corporations for study at U.S. colleges and universities.
In 1980, ERDT was designated by the United States Information Agency (now part of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) to sponsor a Teenager High School Exchange Program — our SHARE! High School Exchange Program. ERDT/SHARE! now places more than 700 international students a year with American host families while they attend local high schools. ERDT also organizes various Special Programs, including short-term home stays and outbound programs for Americans.
The goal of ERDT is to provide opportunities for people of different cultures to come together to learn about other points of view and ways of life. We at ERDT believe that cross-cultural understanding is fundamental to developing mutual respect and tolerance between Americans and people from around the world. Our programs provide cultural experiences that foster good will, tolerance, and understanding through a positive people-to-people experience.
The world can fit through your doorway. Opening your home and SHARE!ing your family life with a high school student from one of over 30 countries will not only energize everyone in your family, but create a positive and meaningful experience that will endure long after your guest has departed.
The Work and Travel Program brings young adults 18 and older to live and work in American communities. Gainful seasonal employment, in addition to the necessary immigration work papers and insurance, is secured for each student. Participants have the opportunity to develop working relationships with Americans, enjoy the experienced support of the ERDT National Office, and earn an income during their stay.
Volunteering abroad is a matter of going beyond the veneer of images we see in magazines or as part of a travel group, and into an intimate cross-cultural experience. Like anything that touches our hearts as well as our minds, you may find that you have undergone substantial personal growth. This is the unexpected bonus that many of our volunteers have said made the experience a profound one.
SHARE! offers the opportunity to live and work in an agricultural environment to qualified international visitors between the ages of 16 and 30. We warmly welcome farming and ranching families to open their homes to those who have shown a real desire for hands-on involvement and who can make a commitment to put in a 4 to 6 hour work day, 5 days a week.
During summers and vacation periods, your family can host a student who is part of a group with a pre-arranged schedule of classes and activities. Your local SHARE! representative coordinates the overall schedule. Typically, students maintain a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekday routine, which may include language improvement courses and various cultural activities. Families can even have the opportunity to host students from several different countries over the course of the year.
This program is for families who are interested in hosting visitors between the ages of 15 and 30 during different times of the year. They generally stay for a period of 2-6 weeks. The main focus here is a genuine cultural exchange and a large degree of family interaction.
