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Welcome to the Alumni Newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Alumni Newsletter for the Near East and Pakistan. YES is a U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship program which provides secondary school students in selected Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries the opportunity to live and study in the U.S. for a full academic year. Scholarship recipients live with host families, attend U.S. high schools, and participate in special enrichment activities that include community service, youth leadership training, civics education, and other activities that help them develop a comprehensive understanding of American culture and develop leadership skills. Likewise, these students serve as cultural ambassadors for their home countries, representing their own rich heritage to their American host communities.

The first YES alumni returned home in June, 2004. Most are currently busy studying for their final school leaving exams this year; some have already begun post-secondary studies. Most all have been active in trying to establish alumni chapter clubs in their respective countries. The YES Alumni Newsletter for the Near East and Pakistan will serve as a medium for alumni to share their alumni chapter activities and the ways in which they continue to build the leadership and service skills they explored during their stay in the United States. We hope to initially produce this newsletter twice a year - once more students return from the program, and the alumni ranks grow, we may publish quarterly.

We encourage everyone to submit reports on the events held by your alumni chapter, including photos. This newsletter can also provide you with a forum to share and explore ideas across chapters. We would also like to provide information on important milestones in your lives that you would like to share with your fellow alumni, whether it is acceptance to college, graduation with honors, a wedding, etc. The newsletter is for you and about you, so we hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to keep in touch. Please contact your local AMIDEAST or iEARN office for submission of your news.

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The YES Alumni Newsletter for the Near East and Pakistan is produced by AMIDEAST. The YES scholarship program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs and administered by several organizations. AMIDEAST is part of a consortium that includes AYUSA International, ASSE, ASPECT Foundation, CIEE, iEARN, Nacel Open Door, PIE, and Sister Cities International.