- The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program celebrated its 15th anniversary and the newest group of alumni this week on Capitol Hill.The event, held in the Kennedy Caucus room, included remarks from YES co-founder, former US Senator Richard Lugar, who received booming applause and a standing ovation from the more than 200 students in attendance. The YES program is sponsored by the US Department of State and funded by Congress.Mr. Lugar commended the students on the courage it took to… Read More
- On May 8, the 2023-2024 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program cohorts were welcomed to the last webinar of the "Global Leadership Series," provided by Dr. Sam Potolicchio, Executive Director of American Councils’ Center for Global Leadership (CGL).The concluding meeting featured the former U.S. Senator and Senate sponsor of FLEX, Bill Bradley, The New York Times columnist and bestselling author of “The Man Who Broke Capitalism," Mr.… Read More
- Each year, the Civic Education Workshops (CEW) convene a cohort of participants from the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES), and Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) programs, hailing from various host communities across the United States, for an immersive exploration of American civil society in the nation’s capital. During the workshop, students engage in sessions on topics like First Amendment rights, foreign policy, and leadership, equipping… Read More
- I love being an exchange student because of the way confusion turns into amazement. Earlier this year, while doing homework in my room, my host mom walked in and asked if I wanted to come to a jazz concert. Of course I said yes. The number one rule of being an exchange student is to always say yes when someone invites you somewhere. My host mom then added, "You should change, it's at the President's residence!" President, I assumed at the moment, meant the president of the jazz association, who… Read More
- The students at the Youth Exchange and Study English Camp in Senegal had a chance to practice their language skills with a diplomat last month. The camp offers exchange program semi-finalists two weeks of intensive English training and preparation before their academic year abroad in the United States, and last month the camp included a visit from US Ambassador to Senegal, Dr. Tulinabo Mushingi. The 17 students, alumni assistants, and staff welcomed Ambassador Mushingi with… Read More
- Since FLEX began in 1992, over 30,000 students from two dozen countries in Europe and Eurasia have earned scholarships to travel to the United States and learn about U.S. culture and share their own while living with volunteer host families and attending high school. FLEX Abroad participants will likewise engage in citizen diplomacy and develop critical global leadership skills during their immersive exchange experiences. Through learning a new language, living with a host family, and attending… Read More
- Since returning to Kenya, YES program alumnus Mwalimu William Karisa ('12) has become an adovocate for positive change on several development service projects in his home community.While on the YES program, Mwalimu lived with a host family and attended high school in Blue Grass, Iowa, where he learned about American society and values, developed leadership skills, and helped educate Americans about his country and culture.During his time in the US, he began "looking at the differences that we… Read More
- At a May workshop in Zanzibar, Tanzania, 30 alumni of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program from five countries in sub-Saharan Africa explored topics on community project design and management. The workshop, which was organized by American Councils in conjunction with Iowa Resource for International Service (IRIS), was sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. IRIS is an implementing partner of the YES Program.YES program alumni… Read More
- Twenty years ago, a visionary step was taken by the United States Congress as they established the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, named after Senators Ted Kennedy and Richard Lugar. Created in response to the events of September 11, 2001, YES provides opportunities for high school students from countries around the world to immerse themselves in an American high school, develop cross-cultural skills, and build lasting friendships.The YES program has profoundly… Read More
- Recently, 24 alumni of the earliest YES cohorts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia gathered in Sarajevo along with seven representatives of American Councils to mark the ten-year anniversary since the alumni program began––a postponed celebration due to the pandemic. Participants rekindled connections from the past, established new networks, explored leadership and social responsibility, and shared ideas for the future of the alumni community.The program opened… Read More
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