- The Elie Wiesel study tour is for high school and university students (ages 18-25) from across Romania, with knowledge on the Holocaust and communism and a strong motivation to study more on these topics. The initiative is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Romania and organized in partnership with the Embassy of Israel in Romania and the National Institute for Holocaust Studies.Camp participants then implement follow-on activities in their communities to practice what they learned in camp while… Read More
- Editor's note: We polled our staff all over the world about what to bring on exchange. The submissions ranged from snacks to mindsets. (Almost everyone mentioned having an open mind, an absolute exchange essential!) Here is our top ten list: 1. A good pair of shoes for exploring. 2. Small doses of familiar flavors (spices, food mixes, etc.) to share with your host community--or to help combat homesickness. 3. Measuring cups! It makes baking for your host family and friends so much… Read More
- Editor's note: From our most junior level staffers to our president, our global staff has a lot of knowledge about exchange to share. This month, we asked them to share some of their best advice, based on their studies, work experience, and their time working at American Councils. For this piece, we asked: What is your best advice for someone going on an exchange program? 1. Be prepared to present [your] country's culture, do not hesitate to make new friends, have a good… Read More
- PRISTINA, Kosovo – Alumni and supporters of the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF) celebrated the program’s 100th scholarship earlier this month, at a gala in Kosovo’s capital city. The Night of the Rising Stars, organized by American Councils’ staff in Kosovo, welcomed more than 250 guests, including former President Atifete Jahjaga, a KAEF honorary committee member, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, Minister of Education Shyqiri Bytyqi, USAID Kosovo Director Lisa Magno, and many… Read More
- Editor's note: Egzon Halili is one of the newest fellows to complete a degree through the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF), but when he returned to Kosovo after graduation last year, he hit the ground running. He launched a company, Monego, that is already operating in cities around Kosovo. Now a CEO, he hopes to continue supporting young entrepreneurs, the same way he was supported through KAEF. This month, KAEF is celebrating awarding its 100th scholarship. You… Read More
- The US Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) program has awarded $238,500 to American Councils to continue to provide scholarships to advanced undergraduate and graduate students of Russian and Persian participating in semester-long programs in Moscow and Dushanbe. US K-12 teachers are also eligible for the new scholarship funding and are strongly encouraged to apply. A total of 30 scholarships will be awarded – 10 each for summer 2019, fall 2019, and spring… Read More
- Exchange years are formative for many high school students, and Andriy Shevchenko was no exception. A native of Ukraine’s rugged and tradition-steeped western region of Ivano-Frankivsk, he traveled to Alameda, California in 1993 through the Future Leaders Exchange program, which was founded by US Senator Bill Bradley. Today, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada credits Senator Bradley for inspiring his own political career.Speaking during the 20th anniversary celebration of the FLEX program… Read More
- Veronica Guzman tells her students that learning a language can open up their worlds to new opportunities. She knows because she’s experienced it. Her first language is Spanish, and she also grew up speaking English. In school, she studied Italian but later switched to Russian because she wanted to further challenge herself. “Being able to study and use a critical language gives you a better understanding of other cultures and really opens you up to other perspectives,” she said.… Read More
- Growing up in the capital city of Macedonia, Emir Hasanovic learned about America through pop culture and Hollywood.When he applied for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program in 2008, social media did not have the same level of prominence that it does today. After he was accepted, he imagined how his American story would unfold.He assumed he would be placed in a big city, like he had seen in movies – New York City or Chicago. He was placed in Lyle, Minnesota.In 2008, the… Read More
- Nataliya Bugayova has never let unlikely odds get in her way. It was unlikely that she would become the first female CEO of a major Ukrainian publication at 25, but she did. It was unlikely that she would be accepted to a master’s program at Harvard at 21, as an international student, but she was. In 2004, it was unlikely that she would be selected as a Future Leaders Exchange student, but she was. She has her mother to thank for that. They lived in a small town, away from the big… Read More
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