Young graduates of the US Department of State-funded National Security Language Initiative for Youth Program (NSLI-Y) assembled in Washington, D.C. in early January to learn how to represent the NSLI-Y Alumni Association nationally and in their home communities throughout the US
The 16 alumni from across the country who learned to speak a critical world language abroad during their program were selected to serve as NSLI-Y Alumni Representatives for 2017 and attended a training on their newfound responsibilities to lead the NSLI-Y Alumni Association. The association aims to foster an alumni network by providing resources for continued language acquisition, professional development, and service opportunities to strengthen international dialogue and intercultural understanding.
The Alumni Representatives met with the US Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) alumni relations team to learn about International Exchange Alumni opportunities and resources. They also learned how to establish an online presence to support the NSLI-Y program, how to organize and host events, and how to work effectively with others.
During small group sessions, the alumni brainstormed and planned initiatives for the upcoming year on continued language learning, community service, program outreach, and online engagement. Each Alumni Representative then practiced their public speaking skills by sharing their plans for community engagement in the year ahead.
The 2017 team of Alumni Representatives is excited to begin connecting with and serving NSLI-Y alumni in their areas. Learn more about them and where they will be serving on the NSLI for Youth website.
Sharing the NSLI-Y Experience
Current NSLI-Y representatives Angela, Elise, Deni, and Andy also presented on their experiences during the program and their service as alumni representatives to US Department of State officials.
Angela discussed how NSLI-Y offered her the opportunity to study Chinese abroad when she would not have otherwise had the resources to do so. Andy focused on how his experience with NSLI-Y has helped him become a better global citizen, student, friend, and person. Deni shared his excitement when he learned he had achieved an Intermediate-Low score on the Oral Proficiency Interview exam, despite having no prior knowledge of Arabic. Elise noted how NSLI-Y solidified her interest in Arabic and continues to motivate her service and public diplomacy efforts in her home community.
Read personal interviews with each of the 2017 NSLI-Y alumni representatives to learn more about their experiences learning critical languages abroad and how they hope to share what they've learned with their communities on the NSLI-Y website.
About the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program
Sponsored by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), NSLI-Y provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year immersion programs. Scholarships are available for students to study Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. Applications are typically due in late October; visit the NSLI-Y website for further detail.