International high school students on the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), the Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES), and the Cultural Bridges program celebrated International Education Week (IEW) this past November by making presentations all over the US about their home countries.
IEW has traditionally been one of the students' favorite parts of their exchange experience, as it gives them an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills while teaching Americans about their culture and traditions, often providing a platform to address cultural stereotypes or misconceptions. The week-long event also provides an opportunity to highlight the role of these exchange programs and helps students meet new people in their host communities.
Vena, a YES student from Kenya, explains, "It is the most important time, where we get the chance to share our experience as exchange students and show the pride of our countries by giving the history and telling stories about our lifestyle. It is very important to get to interact with people from different countries and to learn more about them."
Here are some of the IEW highlights from this year's cohort of exchange students.
Muslim YES Students Speak About Islam
Two YES students being hosted in Port Angeles, Washington gave a joint presentation about their countries to the Soroptimist International of Port Angeles (SIPA). This organization, the first chapter in the Olympic Peninsula, seeks to improve the lives of and provide services for women and girls in the area.
Maham from Pakistan began the presentation by talking about the history of her home country and the importance of Islam to the country. This was followed by a presentation by Areej about her home country of Kuwait, with a discussion on the role of Islam in her country.
Throughout their presentations, the two students highlighted the similarities and differences between their two countries. While Kuwait and Pakistan are both predominantly Muslim countries, they are geographically and culturally very different. Areej and Maham then led a discussion about terrorism, the impact of terrorism on their own countries, and how much this has affected Muslims and other groups of people around the world. They ended the presentation with a question and answer session, addressing common questions such as the head coverings some Muslim women choose to wear.
This type of dialogue is just one example of the impact these scholarships students have as youth ambassadors for their countries and the YES program.
A Texas-Sized Celebration
FLEX students placed in Joshua and Burleson, Texas devoted their week to educating over 400 elementary school students about their home countries. The FLEX students used presentations, national costumes, posters, crafts and souvenirs, and videos to entertain and educate the young students. For fun, we asked our exchange students in Texas to share their favorite comments from the elementary school students. Here are some of their favorite responses:
Maryan (Ukraine): "The students asked me, 'Do you have pasta? Do you have Starbucks? Do you have cars?'"
Ada (Romania): "They were excited to learn about Romania's connection with Dracula."
Irine (Georgia): "A memorable moment was when I was writing kids' names in Georgian. They were super excited about it! I truly felt like a rock star."
Jennet (Turkmenistan): "The funniest moment was when the first graders asked me, 'Do you have a mom and dad? Do they have kids in your country?'"
Speaking about the importance of IEW, Tinatin from Azerbaijan says, "It was so interesting and exciting to share our culture, values, holidays, dance, and music. It's also useful for American kids to see and listen to our presentations."
Fellow FLEX student Darika from Kyrgyzstan adds, "It is the best part of my American life. It is a great opportunity to acquaint people with my country. By representing my country, I fall in love with my country. Now I can tell that my country and my Kyrgyz family are proud of me. And I really appreciate my host family helping me."
About the FLEX Program
The Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program funded by the US Department of State and administered by American Councils. FLEX students who pass multiple rounds of testing earn a scholarship to spend an academic year in the United States living with a volunteer host family and attending a US high school.
FLEX students gain leadership skills, learn about American society and values, and teach Americans about FLEX countries and cultures. FLEX is a highly competitive program with over 25,000 alumni who have contributed over one million hours of community service in cities and towns across America. The students return home to active alumni networks that carry out inspiring activities.
About the Kennedy-Lugar YES Program
The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was established by Congress in October 2002 in response to the events of September 11, 2001. The program is funded through the US Department of State and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by American Councils, to provide scholarships for high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the United States. Students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.
To learn more about hosting a scholarship exchange student, visit http://inbound.americancouncils.org.