Ashcans posted:

Not really my area of expertise, but... you wouldn't be able to use the J-1 programs, because I believe you need to be 15 and I think there are restrictions on staying with family - the point of the J-1 programs is international exchange.

I think that you would be able to use an F-1 to do this, but you would need to do so through a school that participates in the SEVP program, and would have to be 9-12 for a public school because they don't participate younger than that. A private school would be fine lower than that (I forget how old people are in different grades, I'm old) but would also need to be SEVP approved.

Here is a link about it that includes some links to their search tool to find schools in your region that would be able to issue the proper documents for an F-1. I assume at a private school you would need to apply as normal and get in before the process - I am not sure how it works for a public school, given that there is no admission or anything. I assume anywhere that actually does this has a mechanism for it though. You can see if your school participates in it, at least.