The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program provides scholarships for high school students (ages 15-18) from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the United States. The Kennedy-Lugar YES Program, sponsored by the U.S. … [Read more...]
AYA Students Honor Host Fathers and Show Appreciation
Father's Day is a special time to show our appreciation and celebrate all the fathers, host fathers and father figures out there that work so hard to bring joy to all those around them. In honor of dads everywhere, we’re thrilled to share these stories from AYA students that who … [Read more...]
Grant Students Share Special Experience in California
As a placing organization for the U.S. Department of State’s YES and FLEX programs, AYA is lucky enough to work with amazing students who have earned merit-based scholarships for international exchange. For decades, these programs have been successfully building bridges and … [Read more...]
A Very Special AYA Christmas
Sharing holiday traditions can be a fun way to get to know more about another culture. Fatima, a YES student from Lebanon, shared the following about her experiences learning about Christmas and volunteering in her community with her host mom. It's lovely to see people coming … [Read more...]
I am Muslim: An Inspired Voice in America
AYA host mom and Local Coordinator Regenia S. wrote the following about what it was like to experience the recent election with Meriem, her exchange student from Morocco. Her story is a special one, and it speaks to the very heart and essence of the AYA program. On the day … [Read more...]
#FlashbackFriday: YES Student Shares Poem
Our YES students are so often full of vision and talent. This is certainly the case of Aasif Bulbulia, a former YES student from South Africa. Aasif shared the following poem about his identity as a South African in the aftermath of Apartheid. I Am South African I am a South … [Read more...]