press releases 2007

Lebanon’s Finest Ambassadors Return After Year in the United States

June 21, 2007

Twenty-seven Lebanese Youth Exchange and Study (YES) scholarship winners returned to Lebanon after spending a year living and studying in the United States, Sunday, July 7, 2007.  For the past academic year, the Lebanese YES students lived as members of an American family, in small and medium-sized towns in 18 states throughout the country.  They participated in extracurricular activities and developed a better understanding of American culture through interaction with diverse groups of Americans. The students also acted as cultural ambassadors to their American host communities, teaching them about Lebanon. 

When the students arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport after a long flight from Washington D.C. via London, their eager parents and family members welcomed them with applause.  The students were bursting with excitement about their "life-changing" experience.  As one student said, "It's a dream come true. I've learned things I would never learn in my whole life back home. Being an exchange student is the greatest experience a student can encounter. You get to meet important people, make new friends from all over the world and the most valuable thing is that you help build relations between countries."

This year 47 Lebanese students will travel to the United States through the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) scholarship funded by the U.S. Department of State.  Competition for the 2008-09 program will begin in September 2007.  Applications will be available on the U.S. Embassy website http://lebanon.usembassy.gov in September.  Applications are due in early December   More than 100 Lebanese high schools students have participated in the program in the past five years.