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Calling all FLEX alumni! Do you have photos or videos of memories you've made as a FLEX alum that you are ready to share with the world? Submit them by Monday, September 25, for the chance to win a variety of prizes!
The FLEX Alumni Photo & Video Contest is an annual competition that encourages alumni to share and celebrate their alumni experiences. This year, the competition has five categories:
- Leading and Learning
- Unforgettable Moments
- Friendship and Community
- Videos, Reels, Shorts
Each alum may submit up to three pictures (one per contest category) and one video. There will be two winners in each category, selected by a team from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
| | The Eurasia FLEX-Ability Workshop 2023 Participant and Mentor applications are now open! This four-day workshop will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, from November 15-19, 2023. FLEX alumni from (or currently living in) Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia are eligible to apply. The workshop will focus on developing Project Development and Management skills while addressing local community needs in six target areas. Don’t wait! Applications are open until September 27, 2023 (23:59 PM Central European Time - CET). | | |
Annually, FLEX Alumni celebrate FLEX Appreciation Day on the first Friday in October – this year, that's October 6! This alumni initiative is intended to give FLEX alumni the opportunity to thank everyone who has helped them on their FLEX journey - from local teachers and recruiters to host families and American friends. At the same time, it's a celebration of FLEX - the exchange program that has fulfilled many dreams, built life-long connections, given a chance for personal and professional growth, and provided the resources to excel as individuals! Let’s join together to celebrate this special day!
What can you do for FLEX Appreciation Day? Meet up with fellow FLEX alumni and celebrate! Promote the program by sharing your FLEX experiences! Wear your FLEX t-shirt! FaceTime with people from your exchange year! Post on social media using the hashtag #ThankYouFLEX!
Did you know you can even send FLEX postcards to express your gratitude to those in the U.S. who made your exchange year possible and unforgettable? Contact your Alumni Coordinator to request physical FLEX Appreciation Day postcards and find out how American Councils can help you mail cards. Learn more about the artist behind this year's postcard, Diana Akual '19, and her inspiration by watching the video below. You can also download a fillable PDF version of the postcard here.
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From Host Family to Forever Family
Alumni from Latvia often share that the connection with their friends and families from the United States is one of the best things they have gained from the FLEX program. Some, like Anna Paula Spriedeja ’18 and Nikolina Lote Rutenberga ’19, even have had a chance to meet with their families after completing the program and catch up after years of only seeing each other through video calls and pictures. Read more about their experience here!
| | | On September 16, five alumni in Moldova celebrated World Cleanup Day 2023 by cleaning up local areas in Chisinau and collecting multiple bags of waste! We loved seeing how alumni all around the world celebrated the occasion. Even though World Cleanup Day has passed, you can still make a difference by joining future cleanups and events organized by the FLEX Alumni community. Reach out to your local Alumni Coordinator to find out what events are happening near you! | |
The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program is a United States Department of State-sponsored program for secondary school students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. The program provides merit-based scholarships for students to travel to the United States, live with a host family, and attend a U.S. high school for a full academic year. Learn more at www.discoverflex.org.
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