FLEX

The Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) is US government funded program for secondary school students from 10 countries of the former Soviet Union (Eurasia), including Georgia. The program provides a great opportunity to gain scholarship in order to travel to the United States, attend American high school and live with a host family for the full academic year.

For more information, please, choose from the following:

What is the FLEX program and who pays for it?

Who organizes the program?

The main goals of the program

What is and what is NOT provided by the program?

What happens once FLEX finalists are selected?

Host family and student placement

When and how can I apply?

How will I benefit from the exchange experience and what are some of the possible disadvantages?

What is the FLEX program and who pays for it?

FLEX was established in 1992 as the centerpiece of the Eurasian Secondary School Initiative under the FREEDOM Support Act. This scholarship program is fully funded by the United States government and administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The program was created from the conviction of former Senator Bill Bradley that the best way to ensure long lasting peace and understanding between the United States and the countries of Eurasia in order to enable young people from these countries to learn about the U.S. and Americans firsthand.

The primary goal of FLEX is to improve mutual understanding between countries and allowing young citizens of Eurasia to have the opportunity to observe and experience our system of government. Since the program’s inception in 1993, over 17,000 young citizens from Eurasia have participated in FLEX and have returned to their countries imbued with a new enthusiasm and desire to help others and share their newly gained experiences and knowledge to alter their home communities and countries into good ways.

ECA fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through international educational and training programs by promoting personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad, as well as by presenting U.S. history, society, art and culture in all of its diversity to overseas audiences.

Applicants are tested and screened by merit-based competition consisting of three rounds. All finalists take part into Pre-Departure Orientation ( PDO). In their home countries 4-6 weeks before they depart to the United States. The main goal of the gathering is to prepare future leaders for American adventurous year.

A small percentage of the students arrive in the United States in July to participate in a four-week intensive English language enhancement and cultural orientation program. This makes it possible to include students from remote areas where they may not have had the same opportunities to learn English as their counterparts from urban areas. It allows the inclusion of a small number of participants with disabilities as well. All other students arrive in August. FLEX participants are placed in host communities by a network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that cooperate with the Department of State under grants awarded specifically for that purpose. Students live with volunteer, unpaid host families, attend high school tuition-free, and engage in local, cultural enhancement activities, frequently with a civic education or community service focus; which helps the program to reach democracy-building goals.

American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS maintains a network of 20 FLEX ‘hub’ offices throughout Eurasia and handles all of the activities involving recruitment and screening, selection and communication of finalists and their documentation, pre-departure orientation, participant travel, and maintenance of information management and data processing systems. American Councils serves as a liaison for students’ families and home/school authorities, while they are in the United States.

The organization also tracks and coordinates alumni activities. Alumni Resource center is the branch where FLEX Alumnus have chance to practically use their knowledge they gain during the exchange year. There is an active alumni association in program hubs and the Department of State receives monthly reports of their activities.

Who organizes the program?

The recruitment, selection, orientation, and travel arrangements for the program are organized by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. American Councils for International Education is an international nonprofit organization leading the development and exchange of knowledge between the U.S. and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and the Balkans. Its mission is to foster independence and democratic development by advancing education and research, cultivating leadership, and empowering individuals and institutions through learning. Over the past 30 years, American Councils has been developed as one of the premier education and training organizations working in the region. It administers more than 30 exchange and training programs, including several U.S. government programs for secondary school, university and graduate students, teachers, and professors.

Many other private, nonprofit organizations in the United States also support the FLEX Program. The U.S. government has asked these organizations to match FLEX participants with U.S. host families and to organize local activities during the whole year.

The main goals of the program

Promote mutual understanding and foster relationships between the people of Eurasia and the U.S. by enabling students’ tօ:

gain an understanding of American culture, diversity, and respect others with different views

Interact with Americans and generate enduring ties
Teach Americans about their home countries and cultures
Share and apply experiences and knowledge with their home countries as FLEX alumni
Learn about democratic values and civic responsibilities

What does the scholarship provide and what is NOT

provided?

The FLEX scholarship provides the following:

Round-trip domestic and international travel (from home country to the United States and back)

Monthly allowance to help students participate in social activities and buy necessary personal supplies
Placement in selected U.S. host family for a 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
Medical insurance, excluding pre-existing conditions and dental care.

The FLEX scholarship does NOT cover the following costs:

Acquisition of an international passport
Personal expenses not covered by the monthly stipend
Excess baggage costs
Telephone calls made from the U.S. to home or an e-mail account.

What happens once FLEX finalists are selected?

Upon notification, finalists, alternates and their parents receive orientation materials to prepare them for departure. They must officially notify their FLEX representative in writing that they accept the scholarship and must provide with additional documentation which is requested as well. Students must begin the process of applying for an international passport and U.S. visa immediately upon acceptance to the program. From May through August selected U.S. exchange organizations match finalists with qualified U.S. host families and arrange for enrollment in local secondary schools. In June and July scholarship recipients participate in a pre-program orientation (pre-departure orientation – PDO) in their home country. Then students travel to their U.S. host families and communities to begin the exchange experience in August.

Please note: Students participating in the FLEX program must return to their home country at the end of the program on the date assigned by American Councils. The U.S. visa issued for program participants will not be amended or extended beyond the program end date for any reason.

Host family and student placement

The non-government organizations (NGOs) that are awarded grants to place students in host families and schools are referred as “placement organizations” (POs). Placement organizations play a major role in the functioning and success of the FLEX program because they deal with the program from the grassroots’ level. Public and private non-profit organizations submit proposals that describe how they will recruit and select host families for their FLEX students, how they will find host schools. In addition to identifying schools and screening, selecting, and orienting families, organizations will be responsible for: orienting students at the local level; providing support services for students while they are in the U.S.; arranging enhancement activities and provide with leadership opportunities that reinforce program goals; monitoring students during their stay in the U.S.; providing re-entry training; and assessing student performance and progress. The following placement organizations will place 2011-2012 FLEX participants throughout the United States:

When and how can I apply?

Representatives of American Councils visit regions (see more: Regions where recruitment is carried out) to conduct testing. Applicants who meet the program requirements (see more: Who is and who is not eligible to apply) should come to the designated testing center at the time of initial registration and bring proof of eligibility (birth certificate/ ID), one recent 3×4 cm photo, and a pen. Testing center locations are announced as soon as possible through press, TV, Radio. FLEX program representatives notify almost all school directors and teachers of the region beforehand (make phone calls, advertise on TV, schools are provided with posters, alumnus conduct presentations throughout Georgia).

How Will I Benefit from the Exchange Experience and What Are Some of the Possible Disadvantages?

The FLEX Program offers students an opportunity to learn about the people and culture of the United States. FLEX scholars are also young ambassadors who teach Americans about the people and culture of Eurasian countries. Students gain an appreciation for and develop sensitivity to other cultures, experience personal growth and independence, and become better prepared for an increasingly interdependent world. Students form strong ties with their American host families and U.S. communities, building relationships that often last a lifetime. Many alumni have attended prestigious universities upon their return home, and later find exciting jobs that use skills learned during their stay in the United States.

Possible disadvantages

Students who are interested in this program should consider the possible negative effects of this program:

You may not return home on time for university/institute national examination.
Your university or institute might not defer your admission if you have already been accepted.
You may not return home in time to take your final school examinations, instead you would have to take external exams.
You may be required by your country to serve in the military upon return.
You may have to repeat a year of school.
You may not be eligible to receive a gold medal at your home school.
Although students participate in an academic program in the U.S., the school curriculum is substantially different than that in your home country.

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Who is Eligible to Apply to the Program and Who is NOT Eligible?

Steps in Recruitment

Recruitment Schedule

Regions Where Recruitment is Carried Out

Selection Process

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Who is and who is NOT Eligible to apply?

The FLEX Scholarship is a merit-based competition and opens to ALL applicants who meet the following requirements.

In order to apply for FLEX program in September 2013, eligible applicants for the 2014-2015 program years must:

Be born between January 1, 1997 and July 15, 1999 AND
Be currently enrolled in a secondary school in the 9th, 10th, 11th grades*
Have an academic standing of “good” or better
Have previously studied English and demonstrated English Language ability at the time of registration
Meet U.S. visa eligibility requirements
Be a citizen of Georgia and be able to receive a passport in Georgia.

The age/grade eligibility requirements for students with DISABILITIES are the following:

Students must be born between March 15, 1996 and July 15, 1999
They must be studying in 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades*

*Students who change their grade level to an ineligible grade before their departure to the United States will be disqualified.

Students are ineligible to apply if:

They do not meet the above criteria
They have stayed in the U.S. for three (3) months or more during the past five (5) years
Their family has applied, is applying, or has made plans to immigrate to the United States.

Steps in Recruitment

Round 1: Pre-Test

Students meeting the age and grade criteria are invited to take a 16-question, multiple-choice.

English test. The major purpose of the pre-test is to eliminate students with only a very limited knowledge of English. There are ten versions of the pre-test to discourage cheating.

Round 2:Essay Test

There are five sets of essay questions so students cannot share essay questions with their friends who may take the test at another test site in the future or at another session. Questions are designed to elicit factors that indicate the student’s maturity and suitability for international exchange. Essay questions focus on actual situations that students may confront, rather than abstract situations that may be more difficult to address. All testing is proctored by program staff and alumni.

After all tests and essays are completed, they are sent to the data hub to be assessed and graded. The Round 2 essays are graded by experts and adequate language proficiency are evaluated. Field screening committees at the data hub are specially trained to assess essays on the basis of ten factors considered critical for exchange experience success. Processing information and conducting the preliminary evaluation in a centralized location, rather than in the field, is important for the integrity of the competition and relieves the pressure often placed on the program staff by parents, local ministries, or others to include candidates who might not be qualified.

Round 3: Applications, English Test and Interviews

Eligible students deciding to continue with the application process are invited to take the Pre- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test.

Students with the best assessments pass to the next level of the competition. They are asked to submit complete applications and are interviewed. Less than 15% of the original applicant pool is invited to complete applications. One U.S. and one Eurasian employee return to the test site to conduct 20-minute interviews with students who have been invited to complete applications. Interviews take place in both English and the student’s native language to enable interviewers to assess English language skills as well as to give students the best opportunity to present themselves.

In addition to the one-on-one interview, all applicants participate in group interviews (referred to as “games”/ Icebreakers). These are conducted in Georgian language and led by Georgian staff members while U.S. staff observes. Four to seven students take part in each “game.” These provide an opportunity to observe the students in a less formal setting and to see how they interact with their peers. On the day of the interview, staff explains the application form in detail so students will understand how to complete it. Students have two weeks to complete the application and return it to an American Councils office. Applications are checked in the field offices for completeness and forwarded to the data hub. Computer data files are updated for each student, and the original Pre-TOEFL or SLEP answer sheet and essay questions are attached to the application form. The complete application and computer data files are then forwarded to the American Councils headquarters office in Washington, DC for further processing and selection.

Recruitment Schedule

To be announced in September.

All the applicants MUST submit the following for registration:

Birth certificate or passport (original)
1 photo /size 3×4/
pen

Regions Where Recruitment is Carried Out

Recruitment for the 2014-2015 program years will take place in:

Tbilisi (applicants from nearby regions are tested in Tbilisi)
Telavi, Kakheti
Kutaisi, Imereti
Batumi, Adjara
Zugdidi, Samegrelo
Akhaltsikhe, Samtskhe-Javakheti
Borjomi, Samtske-Javakheti
Gori, Shida Kartli
Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli

Selection Process

American Councils organizes and trains approximately 150 volunteer evaluators- professionals in education and international relations in the United States who meet daily for about three months to carefully review the applications and attached data. They select program finalists and alternates.

Selection is based on merit as evidenced in a comprehensive application; teacher reference; and demonstrated preparedness for a year-long exchange experience. Students are also required to provide medical evaluations and be certified as medically fit to participate in the program. The selection process is completed in spring and all applicants receive notification of their status by mid-April. English-language proficiency is important but it is not the sole element in selection. Names of all finalists are randomly distributed to placement organizations by mainframe computer.

For further information please contact American Councils (Georgia) representatives.

FLEX recruitment has ended for the 2012-2013 academic year and will resume in the fall of 2013 for the 2014-2015 school exchange year.