This story was originally published by Youth Service America. Rin is both a YES alumni and YES Alumni Coordinator in Kosovo. She spent her exchange year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Rin has always dreamed about a peaceful and sustainable environment in her home country of Kosovo. After spending a year in the US as a YES student, Rin decided to put the English skills she acquired to good use by helping those with fewer education opportunities in Kosovo. She created a language program that provides interactive English lessons for students with special needs called, "I too can speak English." The program provides equal learning opportunities for young people in Kosovo.
In 2014, Rin participated in the YES program and spent an academic year at a high school in Louisiana. Rin was inspired by the idea of community service that she witnessed in America and decided that upon returning home, she would utilize those ideas for bringing positive change to Kosovo. In particular, Rin witnessed the numerous learning opportunities available to youth with disabilities in the United States, something that is not as easily accessible in her hometown.
Rin 's "I too can speak English" project provides English learning opportunities for children with disabilities. The language program targets students with visual, hearing, and motor impairment from the cities of Prizren, Peja, and Prishtina.
Rin cooperated with her fellow YES program alumni and developed a teaching plan adapted for kids with special needs. The lessons use interactive games, visual images, and videos to facilitate the learning process. The idea behind the project is not only to give an opportunity to children with disabilities to learn the language in a more comfortable and interactive way but also to empower them and make them believe that they can be the leaders of tomorrow.
Through her project, Rin is bringing awareness to the challenges that youth with disabilities face, and providing learning opportunities for them. We hope that if Rin continues to dream big and engage more young people in her projects, Kosovo's future will be strengthened.
About the YES Program
Congress established the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program 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 (ECA) 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 American host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about US society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.