PROFILE OF A VOLUNTEER

For this week’s blog assignment we were asked to describe the work of someone who has impacted the lives of others through volunteerism.  I could not come up with just one person that I know so I decided to use a group of individuals I have worked with in the past who open their hearts and their homes each year – these are the volunteer families who host foreign exchange students for ten months each year who are recipients of either the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) or the Youth Exchange and Study scholarships.  Host parents receive no payment for hosting foreign exchange students from either one of these scholarship programs. 

The FLEX program is made possible by funds allocated annually by the US Congress. The program is administered by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which awards grants to private, non-profit organizations to help run different components of the program.  The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program was established in 1992 under the Freedom Support Act to encourage long-lasting peace and mutual understanding between the United States and countries of Eurasia (pieusa.org).

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program gives students who are ages 15 – 17 the opportunity to live with a host family and attend a U.S. high school for an academic year.  Students eligible to apply are from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Ukraine.  Besides having the opportunity to attend a U.S. high school, FLEX students are required to take part in enrichment activities which include a civic education workshop.  They are also given the opportunity to become alumni for the grant program and mentor other students who are applying for the scholarship.  The part I love about this particular scholarship program is that it is open to students with special needs as well.  These students are offered an Independence Skills Training and the Leadership Reentry Workshop to assist their transition into American life and to readjust to their home countries after their exchange is over (exchanges.state.gov). 

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was established in October 2002.  The YES program was a result of Congressional discussions following the events of September 11, 2001 and it was established to foster understanding between the United States and countries with significant Muslim populations.  YES students are from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Gaza Strip, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Tunisia, West Bank and Yemen (pieusa.org).

YES scholarship recipients spend one academic year in the United States, living with a host family and attending an American high school.  While in the USA, students engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.  The YES program is made possible by funds allocated by the US Congress and the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administers it.  Grants are awarded to private, non-profit organizations to help run different components of the program (pieusa.org).  There is also a YES Abroad Program which is available to U.S. citizens attending high school (age 15-18.5) who wish to spend one academic year or a semester in select countries (yesprograms.org).

I am so fortunate to still be in contact with so many great young men and women who came to the United States through these programs.  I think I learned as much about their countries as they did about ours.  The great part is the learning continues and does not end for either side.

References

Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program. (n.d.). Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program. Retrieved from http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/flex.html

Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) | Pacific Intercultural Exchange. (n.d.). Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) | Pacific Intercultural Exchange. Retrieved from http://pieusa.org/grant-programs/future-leaders-exchange.html

 

Home | YES Program. (n.d.). Home | YES Program. Retrieved from http://www.yesprograms.org