The U.S. Department of State has awarded Jack Campagna, a student from Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY, one of 65 scholarships to study abroad on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program.
The competitive, merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Jack a full immersion experience through living with a host family in Morocco, attending a Morrocan high school, and helping develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community. The YES Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Through his participation in the YES Abroad program, Jack will be at the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in his host country, promoting mutual understanding by building lasting relationships with the host family and friends, and through community engagement in volunteer service and leadership training.
The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as an effort to increase dialogue and understanding between the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program was expanded in 2007 to include YES Abroad for American high school students. The YES Abroad program provides opportunities for Americans to study for an academic year in select countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.
The YES Abroad program is administered in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by a consortium of organizations led by American Councils for International Education in partnership with AFS-USA, Inc., the American-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST), and the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN).
—Submitted by the Port Washington Union Free School District
