Make a Difference, Host a YES Exchange Student

During the 2009-2010 school year, the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program will bring 400 students from countries with significant Muslim populations to live and study in the United States. The YES Program engages students, teachers and community leaders in exchange opportunities that promote understanding and tolerance between cultures. We encourage the sharing of ideas, values and experiences among today’s youth by exposing young scholars to leadership belief systems, civil society principles and community service.

Support our mission by opening your heart and home to a young person from another country. When you host a YES exchange student, your family and community get to learn about another culture, as you share your American values and traditions.

The YES Consortium welcomes students from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Gaza, Israel (Arab Community), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Suriname, Tunisia, West Bank and Yemen.

Student Testimonials

"The things I learned have helped me to reorient my studies and to become the person I am today. My family and friends say that I have grown a great deal, and they applaud me for putting such conviction and passion into my ideals."

-Souhair Ghozayel (Lebanon)

"My experience changed my life. My host family helped me have a great experience and they really opened my mind to everything. My host mom, she has a big deep heart, I learned from her that nothing is impossible in this life, and the important part is to make sure that you always give your best for everything."

- Maad Sharaf (Yemen)

Consortium Member Organizations

The Consortium member organizations that provide family and school placement and student support in the U.S. include:

ASSE - American Scandinavian Student Exchange

ASSE was established in 1976 as the American Scandinavian Student Exchange by the Swedish Government to organize student exchange programs between Sweden and the United States. Today, ASSE maintains 38 offices in 31 countries and is proud to foster intercultural understanding through homestay programs around the world.

AYUSA Global Youth Exchange

AYUSA is a non-profit organization promoting global learning and leadership through high school foreign exchange programs. Since 1980, AYUSA has provided over 40,000 high school students and host families with exchange programs that build bridges of international friendship.

CCI - Center for Cultural Interchange

For over 20 years, the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI) has been serving the global community by promoting a more peaceful and environmentally-conscious world though cooperation and understanding between individuals, cultures and nations. Based in Chicago, Illinois, CCI has representatives in over 80 countries who offer cultural exchange programs and travel opportunities worldwide, for nearly 10,000 participants.

International Student Exchange (ISE) promotes world peace by bringing together foreign teens with volunteer American host families. Our programs allow students from more than 55 countries to assimilate inAmerican by experiencing its schools, homes and communities.

PIE - Pacific Intercultural Exchange

Pacific Intercultural Exchange-USA (P.I.E.- USA) was incorporated in 1975 in San Diego, California, as a not-for-profit international student exchange organizationhas and has since facilitated exchanges for more than 25,000 high school students from almost every corner of the world.

YFU - Youth For Understanding

Youth For Understanding (YFU) is a non-profit international educational organization with programs in 64 countries. One of the world's oldest, largest, and most respected exchange organizations, YFU has exemplified excellence in exchange worldwide since 1951.

info@yesgrantprogram.org

In Partnership with the U.S. Government

The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was established in October 2002 to provide scholarships for high school students (ages 15-17) from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the U.S. The YES program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and promotes mutual understanding and respect by expanding communication between the people of the United States and partner countries.

Host a YES Exchange Student

If you are interested in hosting a YES student, please fill out the contact form below:

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International Partners

Our international partners who conduct overseas recruitment and alumni programming are:

Amideast

AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc) is a non-profit organization engaged in international education, training and development assistance in the Middle East and North Africa. With over 20 field and country offices throughout the region, AMIDEAST is a leader in international exchange, English language training and promotion of study in the United States.

Amid East recruits students for the YES program in Bahrain, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia, West Bank and Yemen.

iEARN

iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), a non-profit organization, is the world’s largest community of K-12 educators and students with over 2,000,000 students and 35,000 educators in more than 125 countries. Since 1988, iEARN has pioneered on-line exchanges to enable students to engage in meaningful educational projects with peers in their countries and around the world.

iEARN recruits students for the YES program in Bangladesh, Israel, Mali, Pakistan, Senegal, and Suriname. Students also gain access to iEARN's online platform, which enhances and extends the physical component of their exchange.