Calling all FLEX alumni! Do you have favorite photos of workshops, fellow alumni, or memories you've made as a FLEX alum? Submit them by Sunday, September 25 for the chance to win prizes!

The FLEX Alumni Photo & Video Contest is an annual competition that encourages FLEX alumni to highlight their alumni experiences. This year, the competition has five categories:

1. Leading and Learning 
2. Unforgettable Moments
3. Friendship and Community 
4. Virtual Engagement 
5. Videos, Reels, Shorts

Each alum may submit up to four pictures (one per contest category) and one video. There will be two winners in each category. These winning photos and videos will be selected by a team from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 

World Cleanup Day (WCD) took place on September 17, and many FLEX alumni took part in helping to make the world a cleaner place for all! See below for some highlights featured on Instagram!

Central & West Ukraine (@flexalumnicentralua & @flexalumniwestua): "On September 17 the world celebrated World Clean-up Day! ? FLEX alumni Artem Sukhorukov '03, Bohdana Batiuk '22, Oleksandra Samborska '19 and Oleksandra Lubchuk '20 took part in this initiative in Ukraine and Poland!"

Moldova (@flex_alumni_moldova): "The weather finally allowed us to celebrate #WorldCleanupDay here in Moldova ??36 volunteers lead by Ludmila Cristeva ‘22 cleaned the right bench of Yalpug river on the territory of Congaz today. In five hours, they managed to collect over 15 bags of trash. “It was challenging, but everyone had fun with their classmates and friends. Our clothes were dirty, but we kept on smiling, and Mother Nature thanked us with a rainbow at the end”, Ludmila shares. Proud of our alumni!" 

North Kazakhstan (@flexalumninorthkz): "In September the whole world celebrates the earth through cleanup. FLEXers are no exception. On September 18th, as their first activity together for the CRs and URs of North Kazakstan, it was a perfect bonding opportunity." 

Greece (@flexalumnigr): "What better way to get involved with your community than volunteer to clean your local beach? That is what Ioannis Kalimeris '22, Georgios Papadopoulos '22, and multiple volunteers did to celebrate International Cleanup Day on September 17! After a few hours of cleaning under the warm sun, networking, and having fun, they left the Loutsa beach in Athens looking even more beautiful than before! ?✨"

Czech Republic (@flexczechia): "For this year's #WorldCleanupDay, FLEX alumni from the Czech Republic met in the city of Brno to pick up trash in a park and around a nearby shopping mall. In about 4 hours, they gathered several full bags of trash while enjoying each other's company! ??"

Slovakia (@flexslovakia): "On September 17, 3 Slovak alumni celebrated World Cleanup Day by cleaning one of the biggest parks in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. Kristina Stierankova '20, Dominika Kellova '22, and Marek Janiga '22 collected trash at the park for two hours!"

From South Kazakhstan's FLEX Alumni Instagram (@flexalumnisouthkz): "Ayaulym Akhilova ’20, Temirlan Utegulov ’20, and Nargyz Bitimbay ’20 organized their FLEX Ability post-workshop project, Bee Mindful, for 37 teenagers aged 14-19 in Aktau and Almaty, Kazakhstan. ???‍♀️?

Throughout the workshop, participants attended various sessions on the foundations of project management, self-care, building confidence, staying stress resistant during college admissions, and dealing with burnout. Participants also met with experts at the Breakfast with a Psychologist activity while having an intimate conversation and Q&A session.

Participants also had teamwork sessions followed by a final presentation of their initiatives. Practical activities like photo hunting, a yoga session (led by Sharipa Taibassar ’20 in Almaty), and an art therapy session (led by Diana Akual ’19 in Aktau) were held, too.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about mental health importance and to take mental health-related initiatives forward in smaller cities like Aktau."