Jan 4, 2018
Pablo, from Spain, smiling BIG after playing basketball with his host family.
seen from China
seen from Türkiye
seen from Türkiye
seen from Italy
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Austria
seen from Canada
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Canada
seen from Sweden
seen from Austria
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Türkiye
seen from Algeria
seen from Türkiye
Pablo, from Spain, smiling BIG after playing basketball with his host family.
Host an exchange student. Email [email protected] to learn more!!
Jimmy, from China, taking a vacation with his host dad to Colorado.
Impacting our Host Communities through Service
A key aspect of the YES program is taking part in community service activities and volunteering in our host communities. Our YES students all completed at least 20 hours per semester, and 5 students students truly went above and beyond by completing more than 100 hours! Congrats to Meriam, Shali, Khadija, Sertaç, and Widad on this great 100+ hour accomplishment.
In total, our 8 students achieved 559.5 hours of service and impacted so many lives in their host communities in the process. What kinds of activities did our students take part in? We’ll name a few!
Ahmed (Egypt) painted a youth martial arts building.
Eid (Jordan) collected signatures and supported advocacy campaigns with his local Alzheimer’s Association.
Jonn (Malaysia) coached a youth Robotics team in their efforts to build a robot.
Our Washington, DC area students took part in a local Unity Walk together.
Khadija (Pakistan) volunteered consistently at a food pantry alongside her Local Coordinator.
Meriam (Tunisia) assisted with after school programs and school fundraising as part of ROTC.
Sertaç (Turkey) volunteered as a librarian during a book swap and sale at his school.
Shali (Indonesia) read with elementary school students and supported their literacy development.
Widad (Morocco) volunteered at an animal shelter.
We could go on and on (for about 559.5 more hours) about the great impact that these students have made in their Maryland, Michigan, Virginia, and Washington, DC communities. We are excited to see how these change-makers will continue to impact the world when they return to their home countries next month!
Workshop for Youth Leaders in English (WYLET)
In March, two of our YES students participated in the Workshop for Youth Leaders in English Teaching (WYLET) in Washington, DC. Widad (Morocco) and Khadija (Pakistan) joined other international students for a program that was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and implemented by American Councils. Our 2 YES students were selected from a competitive pool of applicants for their leadership skills and commitment to teaching and education. The WYLET program included school visits, teaching practice opportunities, and instructional feedback from teachers. Learn more about Widad's experience below!
Widad explored some of Washington, DC’s famous sites, including the White House, when visiting for the WYLET conference.
My WYLET Family
By: Widad Bensat (Morocco)
It is very pleasant to go through those memories again in the WYLET Workshop in Washington DC. This short period of time was associated with pleasant memories of various kinds.
During this week, I met many exchange students from different countries, who become close friends of mine. It is true that the purpose of the workshop is learning new methods of teaching English, but we learned so much more than that. I was introduced to other cultures and societies in the world : Kurdistan, Georgia, Palestine, Senegal, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Lebanon,... and of course, I had the big opportunity to meet wonderful and talented teachers who devote their life to help others to learn English around the globe. they inspired us to start thinking of how we can develop our communities back home and help others to learn English. This workshop gave me inspiration, motivation and a huge desire to come back to my country and serve my community.
This week In Washington, DC made me fall in love with this beautiful city. The monuments, the museums and the buildings of this city capture the heart of the history and the spirit of the American society.
Finally, I would like to say thank you for all WYLET staff and all the people who works hard to make this workshop amazing and of course to all the new friends that I met.
Hosting an international exchange student means more than providing a bed and meals! Read about how the Gaskin family has had the experience of a lifetime in their own home!
Dawn and Edward Bohls were nervous about hosting an exchange student.
May 15 is the International Day of Families! We can think of no better way to highlight the day than to introduce you to YES student Silvia and her wonderful host family. From little things like board games and movie nights, to big conversations about xenophobia and religious tolerance, they reflect upon their experience together before Silvia heads home to Indonesia. Click on the link in the title to read more!