Alumni videoThis week — November 14-18 — is International Education Week, and there is no better time to tell the world about your exchange experience! To celebrate this year’s IEW theme, “Empowering the Youth Through International Exchange,” we are challenging our CBYX, FLEX, YES, YES Abroad, and NSLI-Y alumni to post a short video this week to your social media accounts highlighting how your exchange program impacted your life and community.

Your video should include

1.  Your name, home country, and, if you are an academic year alumni, your host city.
2.  The program you were involved in (don’t forget to tell us it was a State Department program!).
3.  What are you doing now? Are you a student? Working? etc.
4.  Your experience as an exchange student, such as:

  • How did the exchange experience affect your life and/or your community?
  • A particular person or event that had an important impact on you during your exchange experience. Who or what was it, and why was it meaningful?
  • How has your exchange shaped your plans and goals for the future?
  • What do you think you taught others in your host and/or home country?

5.  A conclusion encouraging viewers to consider hosting an international exchange student or studying abroad, and to learn more about exchanges sponsored by the U.S. Department of State by visiting exchanges.state.gov.

6.  A sign off in your native language.

Watch sample videos from your fellow alums:

Basel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH5gqdZw_rE&feature=youtu.be
Lara – https://youtu.be/Q3d-CgfoLpc
Ibtihal – https://youtu.be/nYaTDB889Jg

This video challenge is open at all YES, YES Abroad, FLEX Program and NSLI-Y Alumni. Post your no more than 60 second video using the hashtags #IEW2016 and #FLEXisIEW. Selected alumni videos will be featured on the State Department’s and/or program websites. Good luck, have fun, and happy International Education Week!