Connecting People and Cultures
Contents Our Story
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The World is Changing
Intrax Programs 6 Today we are witnessing a profound shift in the way Intrax English Language and Professional Skills 8 people and countries interact. The world is becoming more Intrax Global Internships 9 interconnected, with fluid boundaries and an ever-growing Intrax Work Travel 10 AuPairCare 11 flow of information. To navigate this changing dynamic, we Ayusa 12 need to work across cultures, in multiple languages and with ProWorld 13 people of all backgrounds. Young people must cultivate a Grants 14 Trusted Experts 15 In One Year 16
global skill set—through language acquisition, cross-cultural awareness, and an open exchange of ideas. The skills required to succeed in this century cannot be learned only in a classroom, but must be experienced through a lifetime of cultural exploration. Intrax is a globally-oriented company that provides a lifetime of high-quality educational, work and volunteer programs that connect people and cultures. Since our founding in 1980, our organization has been dedicated to fostering international understanding. We provide our participants a lifetime of crosscultural experiences that change lives, transform communities and allow them to engage more fully in our new world. We work tirelessly to inspire personal growth, build bridges of understanding, and shape the world through person-toperson citizen diplomacy. Together with our participants, we set the stage for a lifetime of success through international exploration and cultural awareness.
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“Intrax provides our participants with educational and cultural experiences designed to help them develop as global citizens. While technological advances bring countries and cultures closer together, nothing will ever replace the impact of face-to-face interactions.”
Our Story 2012 Number of participants reaches 350,000
—Takeshi Yokota, Intrax Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
“Even after 30 years, there is nothing I’d rather do than create programs that expose people of all ages to different cultures and ideas. What we do at Intrax has a positive, long-term, and cumulative effect on students from around the world.”
In 1980, founders John Wilhelm and Takeshi Yokota began organizing small groups of Japanese students to come to the U.S. and live with American host families for two to four-week homestays. Their mission was to provide both the students and the families with unique and personal connections that would increase cultural understanding and inspire mutual respect and personal growth. As time went on, the program grew to include other countries and additional cross-cultural experiences. What began as a single program has grown into an ever-expanding family of programs designed to connect people from all over the world. Today, Intrax has a presence in more than 100 countries around the world, and welcomes more than 21,000 participants into its programs each year. We work to inspire a lifetime of cultural understanding, global awareness and citizen diplomacy. Every year, we are energized by the people whose personal and professional journeys intersect with ours.
2000s
—John Wilhelm, Intrax Co-founder and Chairman
1990s
Number of participants
1990 Intrax opens a new office in Germany.
1980s
Our History
1980 Company founded in San Francisco, California as International Training and Exchange (Intrax) providing home-stay programs. 1982 Ayusa, high school year abroad, begins offering J-1 visa programs as a U.S.designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor.
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1984 Ayusa becomes a founding member of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET). 1985 Intrax opens a new office in Japan. 1989 AuPairCare, live-in childcare program, is launched.
1997 Intrax opens Center in San Francisco offering English and professional skills. 1998 Intrax opens Center in San Diego offering English and professional skills. 1999 Intrax Work Travel program added to provide work opportunities for international university students on their summer breaks.
2000 Intrax opens Center in Chicago offering English and professional skills. To date, more than 120,000 individuals have participated in Intrax programs. 2003 Internship programs launch. Initial program brings young professionals from around the world to the U.S. for work experience. Intrax opens a new office in Canada.
2009 Ayusa receives Emerging Youth Leaders Grant from U.S. Department of State. Lango expands to offer French and Mandarin classes. 2010 Intrax opens offices in France, Korea, Peru and Chile. Intrax acquires ProWorld, volunteer abroad program. Ayusa conducts Mexico Youth Leadership Program (Jóvenes en Acción).
2012 Ayusa administers TOMODACHI SOFTBANK 2007 Leadership Program. Intrax launches Lango, Intrax sells Lango. foreign language Intrax opens a new immersion for kids, office in Singapore. offering Spanish classes. 2008 Intrax launches Internships Abroad program with internships in London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Tokyo.
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Global Presence
Intrax is a truly global company, with offices on four continents and participants from more than 100 countries around the world. We speak the languages of our participants and partners and take the time to connect with them face to face. We gather with our field staff during the year to share best practices and reinvigorate our entire team with the remarkable stories of our participants. We take our role as citizen diplomats seriously, constantly striving to ensure that our participants become better informed members of the global community.
Intrax offices and ProWorld operations Intrax participating countries
Intrax offices:
World Headquarters San Francisco, CA United States Punta Gorda, Belize* San Ignacio, Belize* Salvador, Brazil* Vancouver, Canada Santiago, Chile San Jose, Costa Rica* Quito, Ecuador* Paris, France Berlin, Germany Cape Coast, Ghana* Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, Korea Kathmandu, Nepal* Cusco, Peru* Lima, Peru Urubamba, Peru* Singapore Cape Town, South Africa* Chiang Mai, Thailand* Chicago, IL United States New York, NY United States San Diego, CA United States *ProWorld Operations
Canada
Germany France
United States
Korea Japan Nepal Belize
Thailand
Participants come from more than 100 countries including:
Algeria Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Belgium Belize Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Ecuador Egypt Estonia Finland France Gaza & West Bank Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel
Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia Malaysia Mali Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland
Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovak Republic South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine Uruguay United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Venezuela Vietnam Yemen
Costa Rica Ghana Singapore
Ecuador Peru Brazil
Chile
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South Africa
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Program Overviews
Intrax is a globally-oriented company that provides a lifetime of high-quality educational, work and volunteer programs that connect people and cultures. Intrax has operations in more than 100 countries worldwide and offers diverse educational and cultural programs including: high school exchange, international au pairs, language classes, volunteer opportunities, leadership programs, and work and internship placements. Since 1980, Intrax has placed more than 350,000 participants in its programs. Intrax is based in San Francisco, California, with offices on four continents.
A Lifetime Of Cross-Cultural Experiences
Whatever your stage in life, you can be part of an Intrax program that will change your life and the lives of those around you. Intrax provides participants with cross-cultural experiences all the way from infancy through retirement.
Childhood
Signature Programs English Language and Professional Skills (Intrax Centers) Intrax offers English language instruction and professional skills development programs for students from around the world at three accredited Intrax Centers in Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego.
AuPairCare is a leading au pair agency providing affordable live-in childcare services to American families since 1989.
Ayusa International is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to promote global learning and leadership through cultural exchange and leadership programs for high school students from around the world.
ProWorld creates volunteer, internship, and study abroad opportunities for individuals and custom groups with community projects in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Childhood:
Adolescence:
Learn from an international caregiver (AuPairCare)
Attend high school in another country (Ayusa) Volunteer abroad (ProWorld)
Retirement
Work Travel Intrax connects qualified candidates from around the world with internationallyminded businesses and organizations in the U.S. for seasonal jobs in the Work Travel program.
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Young Adulthood
Retirement:
Young Adulthood:
Host an exchange student (Ayusa)
Explore career options and develop experience in the global workplace (Intrax Global Internships)
Volunteer abroad (ProWorld)
Adulthood
Global Internships Intrax connects qualified candidates with summer, short-term and long-term internships in the U.S. and around the world.
Adolescence
Adulthood: Host an international intern in your workplace (Intrax Global Internships) Host an international caregiver for your children (AuPairCare)
Host an exchange student (Ayusa) Enhance English language and professional skills (Intrax English Language and Professional Skills) Volunteer abroad (ProWorld)
Live and work in the U.S. in short-term and seasonal positions (Intrax Work Travel) Serve as an international caregiver (AuPairCare) Volunteer abroad (ProWorld) Enhance English language and professional skills (Intrax English Language and Professional Skills)
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Intrax English Language and Professional Skills
Intrax offers English language instruction and professional skills development programs for students from around the world. These programs are offered at our three accredited Intrax Centers in Chicago, San Diego and San Francisco.
Year founded : 1993 Number of participants to date : 52,000 Number of participants/year : 3,400 Number of countries involved : more than 85 www.intrax.edu
The Intrax approach to adult English language learning is groundbreaking. Students spend 75% of class time focused on speaking skills. This increased speaking time enables students to make faster progress in language acquisition. Intrax also provides students with learning opportunities in American workplaces so they can develop the skills they need to thrive in their careers. When students return to their home countries, they bring home measurable improvements in their English, a portfolio of accomplishments to share with prospective employers, and a new confidence to use English in any professional setting.
“At Intrax, we learn practical English and focus on speaking. Now I have the confidence to use my English even in professional settings.” —Jorge, Chile
Intrax Global Internships Year founded : 2003 Number of participants to date : 14,000 Number of participants/year : 2,100 Number of countries involved : more than 40 www.intraxglobalinternships.com
“After my internship, I am much more confident in my English speaking skills and understanding of American business. When I go back to Korea, I feel like I can do anything.” —Saemi, Korea
Intrax believes that international internships serve as a valuable launching pad for young adults to explore career options and become competitive in an increasingly global market. Interning in another country allows young people to gain practical work experience, build a strong professional network, and learn what it’s like to live and communicate in another culture. We connect qualified candidates with summer, short-term and long-term internships in the U.S. and around the world. Internships include: • Business – Intrax’s Business Internships match qualified candidates with summer, short-term and long-term internships in the U.S. and around the world. A premium option includes housing, on-site global skills training, expanded in-country support, and organized activities. • Hospitality – Intrax’s Hospitality Internships match qualified international candidates with up to a year-long paid internship with a world-class hotel or resort in the U.S. • Practical Training – Intrax’s Practical Training Internships match qualified international students and recent graduates on an F-1 visa who have temporary employment authorization for Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) with full or part-time paid internships. • Social Development – Intrax’s Social Development Internships are run in conjunction with ProWorld and match qualified candidates from around the world with non-profits, NGOs and other organizations in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. • Work English Study Travel (WEST) – Intrax’s WEST program is an 18-month English development, professional training and independent travel program exclusively for South Korean students selected by the South Korean government.
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Intrax Work Travel Year founded : 1999 Number of participants to date : 119,000 Number of participants/year : 9,000 Number of countries involved : more than 40 www.intraxinc.com
Intrax provides university students the opportunity to come to the U.S. to work across a range of industries and functions in shortterm, seasonal positions. Companies of all sizes value the important contributions of these participants and depend on these seasonal work programs to support their organizations. They look to Intrax for: • A dedicated and flexible workforce to supplement current staff. • Talented employees who can quickly respond to changing customer demands and new initiatives.
• A workforce with unmatched language abilities and specialized skills to help serve existing customers and reach new ones. More than 90% of Intrax host companies recruit with us every year.
“As a year-round business with significantly different seasonal employment needs, we rely heavily on the understanding staff at Intrax for the enthusiastic and hardworking students they provide us.” —Mt. Olympus Enterprises Inc. and Resorts LLC, Wisconsin Dells
AuPairCare Year founded : 1989 Number of participants to date : 51,000 Number of participants/year : 4,000 Number of countries involved : More than 40 www.aupaircare.com
AuPairCare is the premier au pair agency providing live-in childcare to American host families. In 1989, AuPairCare became one of the first au pair agencies designated by the U.S. Department of State to legally sponsor au pairs to come to the U.S. We’ve connected more than 51,000 au pairs with American families across the U.S. Our au pairs hail from more than 40 countries, have previous childcare experience, speak English, and have a sincere interest in living with an American family. To meet the diverse needs of our host families, we offer additional training for au pairs to develop more specialized skills in caring for infants or multiple children. Au pairs offer families many advantages over other childcare options—low child-to-caregiver ratio, affordability, and flexibility, as well as early exposure to other cultures and languages. Child development experts and pediatricians agree that personalized caregiver attention offers children a great start in life. Introducing a second language to children as early as possible fosters healthy brain development, encourages positive social skills, and lays a solid foundation for effective communication skills that will last a lifetime.
“Bringing an au pair into your home is more than just an affordable, reliable childcare option—it’s adding an international branch to your family tree.” —Heidi Woehl, Vice President of AuPairCare
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Ayusa Year founded : 1981 Number of participants to date : 64,000 Number of participants/year : 1,100 Number of countries involved : 60 www.ayusa.org
Ayusa is a non-profit organization that promotes global education and learning through cultural exchange and leadership programs for high school students from around the world. Since 1981, Ayusa has provided students with an invaluable perspective on other cultures and a more profound understanding of their important roles in the global community. Ayusa is designated by the U.S. Department of State to bring students from around the world to the U.S. for an academic year. Students live with American host families, attend a local high school, and become part of the local community.
ProWorld Year founded : 1998 Number of participants to date : 6,900 Number of participants/year : 1,300 Number of countries involved : 9 www.proworldvolunteers.org
ProWorld matches volunteers with community projects in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. From making ceramic water filters in Peru to empowering women in Thailand, participants make a real difference in local communities. ProWorld has been working with volunteers for more than 12 years and offers unique volunteer, internship and study abroad opportunities in the areas of healthcare, environment and social-economic sectors. ProWorld has created customized overseas programs for more than 70 American and Canadian universities and colleges. Current opportunities include: • Business and Social Enterprise - advise start-up enterprises and business associations.
“At Ayusa, we believe that by empowering students from around the world to understand and respect global cultures, we can create a more peaceful international community.” —Sherry Carpenter, Executive Director of Ayusa
• Community Development - bring clean water to communities, install cleaner-burning stoves and develop community gardens. • Environmental and Wildlife Conservation - work in a national park, plant trees to reforest depleted ecosystems and assist sustainable agriculture practices. • Education and Youth Programs - assist with after-school activities, mentor underprivileged and at-risk youth, and teach English. • Health Care - implement public health campaigns and gain clinical medical and dental experience.
“ProWorld was a life-changing experience for me. When I came, I wasn’t really sure who I was or where I wanted to be in the future. After what I have seen and done with ProWorld, I have a much clearer picture of myself.” —Rebecca, Illinois College
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Grants
Ayusa, our well-respected non-profit, has received many U.S. government grants and awards throughout its more than 30-year history. Ayusa has been the recipient of more than 80 prestigious grants sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and other organizations that total more than $80 million. These grants allow the Ayusa team to take the work of connecting people and cultures to underserved communities. Ayusa has operated the following grant programs, among others: Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX), Mexico Youth Leadership Program (Jóvenes en Acción), Emerging Youth Leaders Program (in Senegal), the 2012 TOMODACHI SOFTBANK Leadership Program, and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES).
Trusted Experts
“I have totally changed now in so many positive ways. I am here today as a young lady and future leader ready to make her future as bright as sunshine. I am ready to fight for a cause—and that cause is better understanding between people no matter what your ethnicity, religion or culture is.”
Intrax has been working to connect people and cultures since 1980 and is one of the few organizations designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsor for work travel, au pair, high school exchange, and internship programs. Intrax has partnerships and memberships in many international education and exchange associations:
—Fatou, YES student from Senegal
We’re proud of the work we are doing and the recognition we’ve received from the press, our governmental partners and other third parties. Intrax programs have been featured in diverse media including: The Associated Press, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Christian Science Monitor, The Huffington Post, MSNBC, The New York Times, San Francisco Business Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Our expert team has been quoted in industry, non-profit and business media.
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In one year, Intrax...
Teaches English language and professional skills classes to more than 3,400 participants from more than 85 countries.
Coordinates more than 5,000 homestays for international students, young professionals and au pairs with American host families.
Connects more than 960 interns with 400 companies and NGOs in 18 countries on five continents.
Provides U.S. families with more than 9 million hours of flexible childcare from international au pairs from 40 countries.
Visits more than 300 colleges and universities in 40 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and 10 countries.
Injects more than $2.5 million into local economies in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Facilitates a major U.S. Department of State grant program for high school students, bringing more than 80 students from 40 countries to the U.S. for an academic year. Sponsors and supports 9,000 work travel students.
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Intrax is a globally-oriented company that provides a lifetime of high-quality educational, work and volunteer programs that connect people and cultures. Intrax is based in San Francisco, California, with offices on four continents. For more information, visit www.intraxinc.com. Intrax AuPairCare Ayusa ProWorld
World Headquarters 600 California Street, 10th Floor San Francisco, CA 94108 +1 415.434.1221 www.intraxinc.com
Š 2013 Intrax, Inc. All rights reserved.