Youth Exchange and Study (YES) was initiated by The Department of State in the aftermath of Sept. 11. It aims to build bridges of understanding between Americans and people in countries with significant Muslim populations.
Young people, aged 16-18 from Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Turkey live as a “son” or “daughter” in an American family and attend high school for an academic year or semester. YES students share their host families’ everyday lives, engage in school activities and volunteer in their communities. They learn about American society and values while helping to educate others about the customs and culture of their homelands.
By August 2003, the first class of 53 YES students from Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia arrived, followed in January 2004 by 20 Malaysian YES students. In the 2004-05 academic year, the ranks of YES students grew to 163 participants, this time adding students from the Philippines. In 2005-06, the number of YES scholars was 288, inclusive of both academic cycles. For the years 2006-07 the consortium is hosting over 300 participants. PAX, AIFS/AYA, and AFS-USA each host a portion of the YES students in communities across the U.S.
Pre Application Forms
Download the Pre-Application here:
Last date to send your Pre-Application is Aug 8th, 2008