Introduction To Inbound Sponsored Programs Get to Know

Introduction To Inbound Sponsored Programs Get to Know YES, FLEX, and CBYX afsusa. org July 2019

Agenda • Overview of Inbound Sponsored Programs team, and who does what • Comparison of YES, FLEX and CBYX programs (i. e. finances, partner org consortium, student requirements, applications, etc. ) • Overview of Sponsored Programs Cluster Organization • Placing Sponsored Programs Students • Supporting Sponsored Programs Students • Time for your questions

Who’s Who in Sponsored Programs • Keri Dooley: Chief Government Relations and Sponsored Programs Officer • Sylvia Pertzborn: Director of Sponsored Programs Outbound (Sending) Sponsored Programs • Allen Evans: Outbound Programs Manager • Jon Meyer: CBYX Specialist • Hannah Stewart: NSLIY Specialist • YES Abroad Specialist: Vacant

Who’s Who in Sponsored Programs, cont. Inbound (Hosting) Sponsored Programs • Sara Dubois: Inbound Programs Manager • Erin Abrams and Lily Wiggins: Sr. Sponsored Programs Specialists • Erica Flory and Libby Gartland: YES Support Specialists • Bella Cockerell and Jade Diaz: Sponsored Programs Admissions Coordinators • FLEX Specialist: Vacant • SP Grant Administrator: Vacant • Nancy Levine: Sponsored Programs Project Manager • Carly Wonder and Emily Turner: Sponsored Programs Hosting Coordinator

Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program • Funded through the Department of State; sponsored by Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA) • Provides scholarships for high school students from countries of strategic importance to spend up to one academic year in the United States. • AFS hosts approximately 220 -230 students each year • Countries include: Albania, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Egypt, Gaza, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Israel (Arab Communities), Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, West Bank

Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program • Sponsored by the United States Department of State; established in 1992 to ensure long-lasting peace and understanding between the U. S. and the countries of Eurasia is to enable young people to learn about the U. S. and Americans firsthand, and to teach Americans about their countries. • AFS hosts approximately 50 students each year • Countries include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) • Jointly funded and administered by the governments of the United States and Germany. CBYX provides year-long academic, homestay, and community service opportunities for American and German high school students, vocational school graduates, and young professionals. • AFS hosts 57 CBYX students each year

YES Program Recruitment What role does AFS play? • AFS-USA is one of many organizations that recruits and places YES students • Where AFS Recruits: Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey • Other recruitment organizations: IRIS, American Councils, i. Earn, AMIDEAST • In-country recruitment outreach is carried out in collaboration of the recruitment organization (RO) and the US Embassy

YES Student Applications Where do our students come from? • There are multiple rounds to the YES application and selection process. • All applicants are required to take an English proficiency exam, write a proctored essay, complete a YES program application, and participate in group and individual inperson interviews. • All finalists are selected on the basis of merit. • Applicants must be between the ages of 15 -18 by the start of program (some countries have a cut off of 17)

YES and FLEX Students with Disabilities Each year, AFS hosts a handful of YES and FLEX students with a range of disabilities. • Blind, Deaf, limited mobility Note: additional information about a student’s abilities is available in the student’s application. Looks for Disability Forms.

Students with Disabilities, cont. An Intro to Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is the organization based in Eugene, OR holding a grant from the Department of State that helps to support YES students with disabilities while they are on program. MIUSA provides resources to students, their host families and staff and volunteers which helps us all to better support the students. They conduct an initial assessment of each student, usually in person but sometimes over the phone. Assessments are shared with AFS-USA and provide great ideas for possible resources and opportunities in the students local area. Students with disabilities are required to attend 1 workshop conducted by MIUSA in Eugene, OR. For YES students there is a Fall Preparatory Workshop. Please make sure all host families and volunteers hosting students with disabilities in their areas are aware of this requirement.

SP Placement Considerations Non-traditional placements: • Same-sex (permitted to ask for some countries) • Single parent placement • Double placement • Teenage host brother (applicable for select YES countries) Non-traditional schools: Secular-private, religious private, charter, Montessori, boarding, specialized curriculum (i. e. preforming arts school)

SP Support Considerations Pets: Students are told that they should expect to live with pets, unless they have an allergy. We ask that students can keep their room pet-free if they prefer. Halal food: Students are told to not expect access to halal food, and that they should prepare to be vegetarian if needed. Mosque access: Students are told that they should prepare to not have access to a mosque. Make use of host family questionnaire!

So, what is a Cluster? • A cluster is a group of three or more Sponsored Programs students in an area team who are supported by a designated volunteer(s), the Cluster Coordinator(s). Students are located within 120 miles of the Cluster Coordinator. • A Cluster Coordinator is a volunteer who oversees the program activities, known as enrichment activities, for Sponsored Programs students within an area team. • All of our sponsored programs students are called upon to complete a series of enrichment activities as a requirement of the programs. These activities are meant to provide students with first-hand insight into American political and social infrastructure, our cultural heritage and values, as well as the concept of “civil society”.

What are Enrichment Activities and why do they matter? • While enrichment activities should be fun, they should also have educational content. Activities should engage students in different aspects of American culture For example: A trip to see a concert or play might be acceptable if it includes a discussion of how these productions are organized and a discussion of the funding of the production, whether for-profit or not-for-profit.

Enrichment Activities, cont. The requirements: • Year-long YES and FLEX students are required to complete a minimum of 6 enrichment activities. Semester YES Malaysians and CBYX participants are required to complete a minimum of 3 activities. • Each student must complete at least one activity from each of the following categories: Government (ex. Trip to state capital and have students meet with a representative; hold discussion about differences in gov. between the countries from which students come) Cultural Diversity/Native Peoples (ex. Visit to local church, temple, or mosque and meet with a community leader to have a talk about religious traditions and beliefs) Community Service/Volunteerism (ex. Volunteer at local food pantry, have manager talk with students about the community’s needs) • Enrichment activities that do not have articulated educational content cannot be reimbursed through the U. S. Department of State funding.

Sponsored Programs Finances

Enrichment Activity Funds • $400 for each year-long YES and FLEX student • $200 for YES semester students from Malaysia • $150 for each CBYX student For example: A cluster with 2 year-long YES students, 1 FLEX student, 1 CBYX and 1 semester YES student would receive $1550 to cover the cost of enrichment activities for the year.

Student Stipends • • All FLEX and YES students receive a monthly stipend of $125 CBYX students do not receive a stipend The monthly stipend is a personal allowance that students may use to cover expenses related to socializing with American friends and to pay for personal items such as toiletries, movie tickets/excursions with friends, phone use, gifts, etc. The stipend is not intended for electronics, school or weather specific clothing, school lunches or to be sent home.

Host Family Incidental Allowance • • The Host Family Incidentals Allowance is intended to help host families cover the additional costs associated with their YES student’s participation in school and community life $300 for year-long YES and FLEX students $150 for semester YES students No allowance for CBYX

Host Family Incidentals, cont. Allowable expenses include, but are not limited to: • activity participation fees • gym or school sports uniforms/equipment • school event fees • school and personal supplies • weather specific clothing/shoes • yearbooks If you (or a host parent) aren’t sure if an expense is reimbursable by the incidental allowance, please ask! We want to avoid situations in which we cannot reimburse host families. Please note: This is intended to reimburse the host family for expenses made on the student’s behalf. This allowance may not be used to reimburse the student for expenses incurred

Sponsored Programs Travel Sponsored Programs student travel works much differently than Core student travel, due to the large number of organizations involved. • YES and FLEX students arrive in waves from late July – end of August. • YES and FLEX students depart in waves in May and June. • CBYX students arrive and depart with Core students. Typically, exceptions can’t be made for SP student travel to be changed (e. g. no program releases, no flexible arrival date to accommodate school start date, etc)

Time for Questions! Emily: eturner@afsusa. org Carly: cwonder@afsusa. org

THANK YOU! afsusa. org