- By 2050, African countries will be home to a billion young people. That same year, we’ll celebrate our 43rd year of supporting those young people through cultural exchange opportunities, like the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program. Our exchange teachers from Egypt will be congratulating Arabic students they taught in kindergarten on completing their post-graduate studies. The list of countries we work in will have grown. One thing that won’t change between now and 2050: our… Read More
- The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program seeks to provide high school students from countries around the world with a better understanding of American society and its people, institutions, values, and culture.Funded by the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this program helps students to foster lasting personal ties, engage in activities that promote mutual understanding across cultures, establish leadership skills, and understand… Read More
- American Councils for International Education partners with the U.S. Department of State on the NSLI-Y Program. We are reviewing this website to ensure compliance with recent executive orders and other guidance. The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students (ages 15-18) to learn less commonly taught languages in overseas immersion programs. NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau… Read More
- While American Councils has worked with local partners in Senegal since 2007, AC Senegal officially opened its doors in Dakar in 2015. The capital city of Dakar is located on the Atlantic Coast and is home to nearly 3 million residents in the metropolitan area. Our most active projects in Senegal are the Youth Exchange and Study (YES and YES Abroad) programs, both funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The merit-based scholarships bring… Read More
- Two decades ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, the United States Congress laid the foundation for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. This visionary initiative was created to foster greater understanding by providing merit-based scholarships for students from countries around the world to engage in a transformative academic year within the U.S. While the YES program is celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad (YES Abroad)… 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
- Since the return of the Taliban to power in 2021, American Councils for International Education and our staff in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have worked diligently to provide educational opportunities for displaced Afghan youths and adults. Tajikistan has provided refuge to many Afghan refugees who have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. With limited educational opportunities, the Leadership and English Advancement Program (LEAP) for youth and the U.S.… Read More
- From May 11-13, 2023, the 2022-2023 Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) cohort of exchange teachers traveled to Washington, DC, to attend the annual TCLP Spring Leadership Workshop. The TCLP exchange teachers from Egypt, Morocco, and Taiwan have spent the academic year teaching Arabic and Mandarin to U.S. students in primary and secondary schools, developing partnerships with U.S. schools, and sharing resources, teaching methods, and aspects of their cultures. The workshop began at… Read More
- The annual TCLP Orientation began on August 3 and, over the course of nine days, the exchange teachers participated in a variety of in-person sessions to prepare them to effectively transition into their schools and communities. Throughout the Orientation, the exchange teachers attended pedagogical sessions on lesson planning, differentiated instruction, total physical response (TPR), assessment and cooperative learning.The exchange teachers also visited the National Portrait Gallery, where… Read More
- Editor's note: From our most junior level staffers to our president, our global staff has a lot of knowledge about exchange to share. This month, we asked them to share some of their best advice, based on their studies, work experience, and their time working at American Councils. For this piece, we asked: What is your best advice for someone going on an exchange program? 1. Be prepared to present [your] country's culture, do not hesitate to make new friends, have a good… Read More
Sign up for our newsletter.