Deadline: 31 October 2019

The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program for the 16th year in Israel, is inviting 20 Arab citizens of Israel secondary school students to participate in a Study-in-the-USA initiative for high school students during the 2020-2021 school year.

YES Program scholarships, funded by the US Department of State and Bureau of Cultural Affairs through the US Embassy give secondary school students in many countries with significant Muslim population an opportunity to study at American high schools and live with American host families for one academic year.

The 20 students of the 12th batch are successfully engaged in academic activities in various States of USA. They  are now looking forward for a similar talented group of youth for the 2020-2021 of the YES exchange program.

Students will be enrolled in a full academic year of high school study in the United States, attending classes, labs and extracurricular programs with their American classmates.YES students will also participate in special enrichment activities, including community service, youth leadership training, a Civics education program and other activities that will develop a well-rounded understanding of American culture through interaction with diverse groups of Americans.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the program, Students:

• Must be 15 years old, and must not be older than 17.6 years, by August 1,2020;
• Must have an Israeli citizenship and able to issue an Israeli passport;
• Must NOT have an American passport;
• Should demonstrate flexibility and a commitment to promoting cross- cultural understanding;
• Should have a minimum grade of 80 in all subjects for the past year ;overall 80 average for the past 3 years with NO failing grades in any subjects;
• Excellent English language ability; fluent in oral English proficiency;
• Agreement to attend classes as a full-time student and maintain at least a “B” (80) average in an American high school;
• Willingness to experiment and develop a taste for American style and to participate in their host family daily life;
• Willingness to do their own work like making their own beds, clean their own room, laundry and iron their own clothes and give a hand to other household chores.

Ineligible to Apply

• Family members of Department of State employees
  • Family members of employees of the Department of State whose official duties involve an ECA Youth Programs Division exchange program would be precluded from applying for that program.
• Family members of affiliated private sector employees
  • Family members of employees of ECA-funded implementers of grant programs and Department of State contractors whose official duties involve a particular ECA-funded youth exchange program are technically ineligible for that program. Family members include spouse and dependent children.

Selection Criteria

• Students who fulfill the selection criteria can apply for the scholarship by submitting the primarily application form to iEARN office, After the initial application evaluation, the short listed candidates will be invited to take up the ELTIS English proficiency test and writing an essay task;
• The ELTIS test measures nonnative speakers’ listening and reading comprehension abilities. Students who pass the test and whose essays meet the level of English language requirements will be invited for an individual and a group interview, then a limited number of selected students will be asked to complete and submit the full 24 page YES application;
• After submitting the full YES application, applications are reviewed and evaluated. After a final review and evaluation of the applications and applicants, the students selected as YES finalist will be notified by the YES Program coordinator. The students selected will be enrolled in a compulsory ‘Pre Departure Orientation’ program during summer vacations prior to traveling to USA.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via given website.

Eligible Country: Israel

For more information, please visit https://il.usembassy.gov/education-culture/exchangescholarship-programs/apply-for-the-2020-2021-yes-program/