- 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
- Editor's note: Egzon Halili is one of the newest fellows to complete a degree through the Kosovo American Education Fund (KAEF), but when he returned to Kosovo after graduation last year, he hit the ground running. He launched a company, Monego, that is already operating in cities around Kosovo. Now a CEO, he hopes to continue supporting young entrepreneurs, the same way he was supported through KAEF. This month, KAEF is celebrating awarding its 100th scholarship. You… Read More
- WASHINGTON—In celebration of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Day, aptly named for the atomic weight, 1.008, of element number one—hydrogen—American Councils for International Education announces its plans to establish the “Fuel Cell Rose Education Award.” This award is a tribute to Robert Rose, who founded the US Fuel Cell Council in 1998, the national trade association for fuel cell technologies in the US, which ultimately became the Fuel Cell Hydrogen Energy Association. Mr. Rose served… Read More
- Meder’s journey from Kyrgyzstan to America actually started in Ghana.Last fall, Meder Mukai Uulu was thrilled to learn he earned a scholarship for the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program. The competitive, merit-based program, which is sponsored by the United States Department of State, has an acceptance rate of less than three percent. FLEX students live with a host family and attend an American high school, and Meder couldn’t wait. Meanwhile in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Spalding… Read More
- The Future Leaders Exchange program celebrated its 25th cohort of students yesterday, at a ceremony in the Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill. The reception honored the latest 200 students to complete the program.Several guest speakers, including Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, congratulated the students on their accomplishment, while challenging them to make their voices heard. Mr. Murphy, who studied abroad in college, shared that he started questioning the leaders in his community as a… Read More
- Tell us a story about your program experience. By far the most rewarding experience I had in Russia was speaking with my host mother for the first time completely in Russian. The exchange itself was remarkably ordinary, but to me it was groundbreaking. Before heading to Russia, I could barely say the word "hello." My journey to a full-fledged conversation was hard-won and so very gratifying. The interaction inspired a new confidence in my fledgling Russian abilities and carried me through… Read More
- Habib Debaya, Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study student From Tunisia; Hosted in Nebraska As he waited for his meeting with a staffer from Senator Deb Fischer's office, Habib explained that he was proud to be hosted in Nebraska. He has taken five AP courses at his high school, including macroeconomics and government, and he has learned how to play American football. When the staffer asked him to describe his program, he was ready. “Everyone gets a different experience, but it’s all… Read More
- An exchange student has many new experiences during an academic year in America: new foods, new places, new schools, and new families. For a select group of students each year, that list includes meeting elected officials in Washington D.C. through the Civic Education Workshop.This year the workshop celebrates its 25th anniversary. The weeklong event, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State, offers exchange students a closer look at how American civil society functions. Students… Read More
- Our headquarters is located in Washington, DC, a hub for the international world. It is often the first stop in a new country for our more than 5,000 yearly exchange students. It is often the last stop in a familiar place for the 1,600 American participants who go on overseas programs each year. Over the years, our host families in all 50 states have helped future CEOs with their homework, introduced ambassadors to America’s favorite pastime, and have shared their homes with visitors who… Read More
- Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program provides merit-based scholarships for eligible American high school students to study and live overseas in select YES countries for an academic year. The YES Abroad program was initiated in 2009 as a reciprocal extension of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program for international students from countries around the world.YES Abroad students serve as youth ambassadors of… Read More
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