Built on the standard we never had

ARCO began with firsthand experience.

The exchange does not end when you come home. It stays with you in the things you now know you can handle. ARCO builds the process. The experience will always be yours.

An exchange can change you. It should not leave you on your own.

The standard also shows in the network you build.

The founders

It all starts with a meeting.

Meet ARCO, a Mexican cultural exchange firm founded by former participants to prepare and support students in the J-1 Work & Travel program.

We were participants first. Then we built the Mexican cultural exchange firm we wish we had found.

We experienced the extraordinary side of working, living and building a temporary life far from home. We also experienced uncertainty, decisions made with incomplete information, and how hard it can be to know who can act when something changes.

That is where ARCO began. We cannot remove the uncertainty of an international experience, but we can manage the process better: select thoughtfully, prepare thoroughly, verify conditions, keep every step visible, and stay involved once the season begins.

We built the standard we wish someone had offered us.

We believe in experiences that change your sense of what is possible.

In English that moves beyond the classroom and becomes part of life.

In making mistakes, figuring things out, and trying again far from everything you know.

In cultural exchange as a way to see differently and build relationships that outlast the season.

That is why ARCO exists.

In the summer of 2025, we were two strangers with a suitcase and no one to guide us.

We learned through mistakes, challenges and reality checks.

That is when we realized that exchange changes more than where you live. It strengthens your character and sharpens your judgment.

ARCO grew out of that conviction.

Summer Work Travel can bring independence, friendships and a different way of seeing the world. It can also bring real challenges with housing, transportation, work or communication.

We believe you should understand both before deciding.

98% of participants whose first language was not English reported improved English skills.

95% reported learning more about U.S. culture.

Self-reported results from SWT participants. These are not ARCO's own results and do not guarantee individual outcomes.

Of 878 reported incidents, 59% were not reported to the sponsor.

A problem takes longer to resolve when it never reaches someone who can do something about it.

When something changes, ARCO gets the facts together, contacts the people who can act, and follows through until there is a clear way forward.

The work is paid. Your financial outcome is not guaranteed.

Before you accept a position, we review wages, expected hours, housing, transportation and process costs.

So you can understand the full picture before deciding, without a promise of recovering your costs.

View source and methodology

U.S. Department of State, Office of Private Sector Exchange Administration, SWT Winter 2025 Survey Summary. Survey emailed in January 2025 to approximately 18,000 Summer Work Travel participants in active status. 58% response rate.

ARCO develops opportunities with employers in the United States. The Designated Sponsor independently reviews and approves each placement.

Perla Barradas A. — Co-founder

Aldo Giovanni A. — Founder

Meet us in Xalapa or by video call. We get to know you, your English level, your travel dates, and what you are looking for. If the program is a good fit and there is a viable way forward, we invite you to continue with ARCO.