The Future Leaders Exchange Program

History

The Freedom Support Act (FSA) Secondary School Initiative, also known as the Bradley Bill, was signed by President Bush on October 25, 1992. The purpose of the program is to promote understanding between young people of the United States and the twelve newly independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union comprised of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

In 1997, the program was renamed the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX). The FLEX Program provides full scholarships for over 1,000 select high school students from the throughout the states of the NIS to spend an academic year in the United States. The highly competitive scholarship is merit based and students are selected by independent evaluators in Washington D.C.  AYUSA places a large contingent of FLEX students in the U.S.

Program Goals

 
The program encourages the exchange of ideas, values, and experiences among youth and leads to greater cultural awareness and appreciation, exposing young scholars to democracy, free market economy, civil society, and community service. The long term goal of the program is to prepare students to emerge as future leaders who will help lead and strengthen the newly democratic societies in their own nations

Program Components

AYUSA works closely with our partner organization, American Councils, to provide an innovative exchange experience and a high level of support to all of our FLEX students. As with all AYUSA students, FLEX students complete pre-departure, arrival, and re-entry orientations to prepare for cultural and emotional adjustments. A percentage of the students participate in an intensive four-week English language course prior to arrival in their host communities.  AYUSA and the FLEX program are also proud to partner with Mobility International (MIUSA) to provide exchange opportunities for students with disabilities.

All FLEX students take part in regular enhancement activities and have a required community service component in their program designed to provide a broader view of the culture of the United States. Students can also apply to participate in a week long Civic Education Workshop held each spring in our nation’s capitol.

Related Links

To find out more about the FLEX program through our partner organizations, please visit the following websites:

U.S. Department of State, FLEX Program
American Councils, ACTR-ACCELS
Mobility International