Following is a short history and explanation of YES Abroad, the program that I’m going to Morocco with. This information is from yes-abroad.org. For more information, please visit their website.
YES Abroad is a State Department program that provides merit-based scholarships to US high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 to study in countries with significant Muslim populations for one year. The program is the reciprocal of the YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study) program, which provides scholarships for international students from countries with significant Muslim populations to study in the US for one year.
The YES program began October 2002 as response to the events of September 11, 2001. The program was established by the US Congress and is funded through the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In 2014-2015, YES students came from the following countries: Albania, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Egypt, Gaza, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Israel (Arab Communities), Jordan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, West Bank, and Yemen.
The YES Abroad program is significantly smaller but expanding. YES Abroad first sent students abroad in 2009-2010. In 2014-2015 YES Abroad students traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malasyia, Morocco, Oman, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey. The YES Abroad program is a cultural exchange program, where US students serve as “youth ambassadors,” promoting mutual understanding and communication between their host country and the United States.
YES pays for the vast majority of expenses for the student’s time abroad, including round-trip airfare, room and board for the In-Person Selection Event (for semi-finalists) and Pre-Departure Orientation, airfare to and from the host community, in-country support, cultural activities, school tuition, room and board with a host family, visa costs, secondary medical benefits, and a monthly stipend.
If you are a US high school student or know one, encourage them to apply! The application for the 2015-2016 program is closed, so check the YES Abroad Website for the application next fall.
Mots Du Maroc 