Advancing disability rights and leadership globally®

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
– T. S. Eliot

Currently youth exchange organizations are working around the clock to identify U.S. host families for the thousands of high school exchange students arriving in August for the 2015-16 school year.

Hundreds of those students will travel to the United States on a prestigious scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Among them are Vincent, a Deaf student from the Philippines, whose interests include volleyball and photography. Originally from the Cagayan Valley in northern Philippines, Vincent’s family relocated to Manila so that he could receive a better education at the Philippine School for the Deaf. His parents work abroad to support his and his siblings’ education.

Just fifteen years old, Vincent is already thinking of ways to expand opportunities for Deaf children outside of the capital region.

Most importantly, I want to go back to my province and help my old school, former teachers, and other disabled students to have better access to a quality education. I don’t have an exact plan for now, but I know that my exposure and experiences [in the United States] will teach me along the way.

Halfway around the world, Victoria is also thinking of what her international experience on the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program will mean to the disability community in Moldova.

I think I’m very strong and I think that being an exchange student is a very important step for me and I want to try it because I want to prove to other disabled people and most importantly myself that I can do it!

Victoria, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is homeschooled in Moldova because the high school she would otherwise attend is inaccessible.

Rabia will join a long line of students with disabilities selected for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program from Turkey. A blind student from Usak, Rabia is excited to share her passion for running and goal ball with her U.S. host community.

The host families who open their homes to these talented students are as diverse as the students they host. They include single parents, retirees, and families with children. Many include a family member with a disability and/or are disability professionals.

To learn about opportunities to host a high school exchange student on one of these prestigious programs, contact MIUSA or visit the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website.

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