FLEX Global is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by American Councils for International Education in partnership with AFS.
What is the FLEX Global Program?
FLEX Global is a program that allows high school aged students from selected countries to spend an academic year in the United States living with a host family and attending U.S. high school. FLEX Global builds on the legacies of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program, which has operated for over 30 years, and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, which has operated for almost 25 years. FLEX Global aims to develop a network of young leaders who understand and support U.S. culture and priorities, with a focus on entrepreneurship, technology and SI, and leadership.
What does the FLEX Global program provide?
- Round-trip domestic and international travel (from home to the United States and back)
- Monthly allowance to help students participate in social activities and buy necessary personal supplies
- Placement with a screened U.S. host family for one academic year
- Enrollment in a U.S. secondary school
- Program orientation activities including pre-program preparation and re-entry preparation
- Program activities arranged in local U.S. communities; and
- Medical insurance, excluding pre-existing conditions and dental care.
How will I benefit from the exchange experience?
FLEX Global is a unique opportunity to live with a host family and attend a U.S. high school for a year. Participants gain firsthand insight into and appreciation of U.S. daily life and culture, share about their own countries with their host communities, and build lasting relationships with their host families as well as between the U.S. and participating countries.
