This page was created to showcase Alumni of the US government sponsor exchange program- Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study activities in Liberia.
The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program was established by US Congress in October, 2002 in response to the events of September 11, 2001. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of State and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA) to provide scholarships for high school students (15-17 years) from countries with significant Muslim populations to sp
end up to one academic year in the U.S. Students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures. The YES program started in Liberia in 2009 with the first group of six(6) high school student selected from Montserrado County to represent Liberia. Currently, we have over fifteen (15) returnees also known as YES ALUMNI. These returnees have formed the Liberia YES Alumni corps to constructively give back to their societies through their US experience and skills acquired from the program. In 2011, the YES Alumni Corps embarked on its first program the “School Health club” to help high school students understand the importance of proper hygienic practice, to keep the school environment clean and present best practices on waste management within the school environment. The corps currently operates a mini reading room and a computer resource lab in Monrovia. The reading room project was sponsored by the host family of Mohammed Kiawu, an alumnus from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Most of the YES Alumni programs are structure in the following areas: Community Service, community events, training workshops, working with people with disabilities, STI/AIDS awareness Program, water, sanitation and Hygiene and Environmental projects.
