Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES)
Welcome to the YES Community

YES is an innovative high school exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This public diplomacy initiative builds bridges of international understanding, especially between Americans and people in countries with significant Muslim populations.

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Students, families and alumni: Share your stories, news and events Here !

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YES- Building Bridges of Understanding

Young people, aged 16-18 from Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, 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.

Learn more about YES »

Latest YES News

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US Ambassador Meets With Egyptian YES Students

June 13, 2008 – U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey held an Embassy reception for Egyptian youth who will participate in the 2008 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Read more >>
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It's A Different World

June 12, 2008 – Anggita Paramesti, an 18-year-old senior at Brattleboro Union High School, is also an international correspondent for a radio program broadcast on the other side of the world.
Read more >>

Program Testimonials

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“Sometimes a bunch of kids can accomplish more in a small amount of time than a country can achieve in decades. We YES students started to remove the misconceptions and initiated a movement against prejudice. We have taken a step for world peace.”

Emrah from Turkey, hosted in Washington

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“I believe it is amazing and in fact unbelievable how the YES scholarship
in such a short time has already changed people. Natural parents here in Egypt, after being extremely worried about their children, are feeling very much at ease now. The warmth that their children are finding within their host families in the States is being projected and magnified here”

Sherifa Fayez, Director of AFS Egypt