THS Grads Discover America and Their Hometown Through Summer Exchange

Twelve members of Thurston High School’s Class of 2026 spent their summer taking social studies and civics out of the classroom and across the United States with American Exchange Project.

Participants spent one week experiencing an American destination assigned to them by American Exchange Project, and a second week introducing their own hometown to students seeing Oregon for the first time. The entire experience is completely free, and the only requirement is a student’s desire to participate.

The program was designed to use travel as a way to create connections and find common ground among young adults that may not otherwise have an opportunity to experience life in different parts of the United States. 

THS Social Studies teacher Tyler Nice served as the local exchange manager for the program. Nice regularly spends summer breaks traveling for professional development, experiencing different places and meeting different people. American Exchange Project offered an avenue for his students to experience the same. 

“I really wanted this opportunity for kids, especially for kids who haven’t had a chance to travel very much,” said Nice. “We have several kids who had never flown on a plane before get to go, and I just love that it was fully funded.”

The uniquely American experiences ranged from small agricultural towns to major metropolitan cities. Thurston students traveled to places including New York City, New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston and Minneapolis, while others spent their exchange week in smaller communities.

Alongside discovering other areas of our country, the program led THS students to see their hometown with fresh eyes. 

Nice said that the Thurston students’ realization that Springfield is a special place to live in was his favorite moment. “One of our students said, ‘You know, when I first signed up for this, I thought, why would anyone want to come to Springfield? And this week, I got to see my hometown in a new lens and a new light.’”

The students who were assigned Oregon as their destination felt the same way. 

Nice said, “I asked them, ‘When you pulled Oregon, how did you feel about it? Were you happy? Were you sad? And every single kid that traveled here said the same thing: ‘Actually, Oregon was one of my top desired locations.’”

Nice, students, parents and community partners put together an itinerary that did not disappoint: In seven days, the group packed in all of the quintessentially Oregon activities, including a VIP tour of UO athletic facilities, running at Hayward Field, rafting the McKenzie River, volunteering at the Butte to Butte race, hiking Spencer Butte and visiting the Oregon Coast.

This year’s American Exchange Project took on greater meaning by taking place during the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Springfield’s participants, exchange students, parent volunteers and Nice spent the Fourth of July 2026 together. At that evening’s dinner, Nice led a reflection on the moment and its place in history, including a reading from the Declaration of Independence.

“I told them, ‘I hope you guys always remember what you were doing at the 250th, and that we’re together in Springfield.’ It was really fun spending America’s 250th with Americans.”

That coming together of Americans is the hope and purpose of the American Exchange Project. The program was founded with the idea that bringing young people from different parts of the country together can help them recognize what they have in common and develop a new understanding of their fellow citizens.

For Thurston students, the experience gave them something more - a deeper appreciation of the one of a kind place that we call home.