Romania is getting newly acquainted with young, energetic students wearing blue t-shirts reading, "FLEX!"
The Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) is a longstanding US Department of State-funded initiative that brings over 800 exceptional high school students from 16 countries in Europe and Eurasia to spend a year living with an American family, attending a local US high school, and immersing themselves in American culture. Included in these 16 are seven newly added countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, and Serbia.
In its first year in Romania in 2015, over 1,300 candidates applied for 25 FLEX spots, illustrating the high demand for this type of international exchange experience. The first 25 FLEX students from Romania have just begun their journey, having departed for their new homes all across the US several weeks ago. The students will be settling in with their host families in communities throughout California, Colorado, Indiana, Texas, and Washington.
FLEX STUDENTS APPEAR ON TV
Romanian citizens were thrilled to welcome the FLEX program to their country and the new FLEX students were invited to appear on two national TV stations, Pro TV and Antena 1. The students were featured during the main daily news programs and talked about their experiences throughout the lengthy application process, from starting the application to the joyous moment they learned they were selected. Local newspapers throughout the country also covered news of the FLEX students and the group was invited to meet with the US Ambassador to Romania before their departure.
With the 2016 US school year underway, we look forward to following this first generation of FLEX Romanian students and hearing wonderful stories from them and their peers from all 16 countries. We wish all FLEX students the best of luck this year!
ABOUT THE FLEX PROGRAM
Sponsored by the US Department of State, the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program is for secondary school students from 16 countries in Europe and Eurasia. The program provides scholarships to competitively selected students to spend the year living with a volunteer host family and attending a US high school. While in the US, FLEX students learn leadership skills, civic values, and volunteer in their local communities. To learn more, visit the FLEX community on Facebook and Instagram, or visit http://discoverflex.org.