Youth Exchange and Studies Program
Consortium Partners
The Partnerships for Learning Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program is implemented by consortium of partners lead by AYUSA International in cooperation with with ECA and U.S. Embassies to select students and provide full scholarships from participating countries . High school students from these countries will be placed in clusters of 2 – 3 students and spend an academic year in the United States. The YES program encourages the exchange of ideas, values, and experiences among young people and leads to greater cultural awareness and appreciation, exposing these young scholars to the principles of democracy, free market economy, civil society, and community service. Enrichment activities are a major component of the program and will include community service, a youth leadership training summit, civics education, negotiation training, diversity training, and other activities to give students a well-rounded view of the U.S. culture and values. The goal of this special program is to engage participating youth, their teachers and classmates, and community leaders in an exchange effort that will promote increased understanding and tolerance between our peoples.
AYUSA International is a non-profit high school organization headquartered in San Francisco, CA. As consortium lead, AYUSA has overall responsibility for the YES program, including oversight of programming, grant accounting, reporting and ensuring that program vision is developed, strengthened and realized. AYUSA has administered over 40 grants for the U.S. Dept. of State.
ASSE
International Student Exchange Programs
was founded by the Swedish Ministries of Education in the 1930s and
reincorporated in the U.S. in 1976. With AYUSA, ASSE will share
responsibilities for host family and school placement, student support and
administration and the coordination of local orientation and enhancement
activities. ASSE is based in Laguna Beach, CA.
AMIDEAST
America-Mideast Educational and Training Services
is the largest, most experienced private American non-profit organization
promoting understanding and cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the
Middle East and North Africa. Headquartered in Washington D.C, AMIDEAST is
responsible for in-country recruitment, selection and preparation of YES
students, as well as alumni tracking and follow-on activities.
Aspect
Foundation was founded in 1985
as a non-profit organization offering affordable study-abroad
opportunities to students from around the world. Today, Aspect Foundation has
grown to include a high school program and a community college program. Aspect
Foundation students live with volunteer host families in more than 350
communities throughout the United States.
iEARN International Education and Resource Network is the world’s largest K–12 project-based, internet-supported learning network, which since 1988 has pioneered programs in schools globally. iEARN-US is a partner in the YES program and works with iEARN programs in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Senegal, Mali, Arab Israel and Ethiopia conducting participant recruitment, screening, and selection in collaboration with local iEARN country coordinators.
Based in Chicago, Illinois, CCI organizes academic year, short term homestay, internship, work & travel, language study, environmental and volunteer programs in the United States and in over thirty different countries around the world. CCI is a non-profit organization, recognized by the United States Department of State as an official exchange visitor program.
Youth For Understanding (YFU) is a
non-profit US Based educational organization which offers opportunities for
young people around the world to spend a summer, semester or year with a host
family in another culture.
Pacific Intercultural Exchange-USA (P.I.E.- USA) was incorporated in 1975 in San Diego, California, as a not-for-profit international student exchange organization. Since that time, the program has facilitated exchanges for more than 25,000 high school students from almost every corner of the world. Working with similar organizations in more than 40 countries, P.I.E.-USA brings students into the United States for six and ten month academic homestays, and sends American students overseas for similar time periods.
Sister Cities
International (SCI)
was proposed in 1956 by President Eisenhower to build bridges of understanding
between international communities. Sister Cities responsibilities include SCI
host family referrals, building new Sister City pairings between U.S. and YES
students’ home communities, and conducting a spring youth leadership summit in
Boulder, CO. SCI is based in
Washington,
D.C.