Education & Culture

Youth Leadership Program

Accepting Applications for Malaysia Youth Leadership Program (October 25 - November 19, 2011) - Deadline September 9, 2011.  For more details, click here.

The Youth Leadership Program fosters greater understanding and respect between the youth of the United States and other countries and also help to develop a sense of civic responsibility among teenagers and young adults. 

• Exchanges are three to six weeks in duration.
• All projects include activities related to civic education, leadership development, and community service. They also address specific themes, ranging from conflict resolution to media literacy and student government.
• Programs are primarily for high school students, and most include adult participants who are high school teachers or community leaders who work with youth.
• Participants improve their sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development.
• Participants develop relationships with teenagers from different ethnic, religious, and national groups and engage in building bridges of understanding and respect among the people of the United States and other countries
• Alumni use their newly-acquired skills and knowledge to transform their communities and countries.

All Youth Leadership Programs include a competitive participant selection process and comprehensive orientations leading into the exchange. During the exchanges, students and educators participate in:

• workshops
• community service activities
• dialogues, simulations, role plays and other activities related to project themes
• team building exercises
• school visits
• meetings with community leaders

Upon their return home, alumni implement projects that promote the themes they explored during the overseas program.