“I’d like to find new ways to connect young Americans to young people all around the world, by supporting opportunities to learn new languages … and study. That’s always been a critical part of how America engages the world … Simple exchanges can break down walls between us, for when people come together and speak to one another and share a common experience, then their common humanity is revealed.”
-President Barack Obama

“By studying foreign cultures and languages and living abroad, we gain a better understanding of the many similarities that we share and learn to respect our differences. …I call on … [students]… to participate in activities that increase their knowledge of and appreciation for global issues, languages, history, geography, literature, and the arts of other countries.”
-President George W. Bush

“No one who has lived through the second half of the 20th century could possibly be blind to the enormous impact of exchange programs on the future of countries…”
-President Bill Clinton