Since 2002, over 15,000 high school students have said “YES”, immersing themselves in a host country through the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. These students live with host families and attend local high schools, sharing their cultures, learning critical languages, and building life-long relationships. The YES program facilitates citizen diplomacy through cultural exchange at a community level. The impact contributes to global security as students build positive ties between future leaders and their host countries.

Former Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) recognized the need to engage young leaders through people-to-people diplomacy. According to Senator Lugar (R-IN),“High school students are quick learners; they are well able to adapt to new conditions, and they are our future leaders.” So in October 2002, the 107th United States Congress established the YES Program under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961.

For over 25 years, high school students from countries of strategic importance to U.S. foreign policy have lived with American host families through YES . Following the success of the program, the opportunity was expanded to include American participants, on YES Abroad. Since 2009, YES Abroad has sent more than 1,000 American high school students and recent graduates overseas for a 10-month exchange experience. YES and YES Abroad are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and implemented by a consortium of nonprofit organizations led by American Councils for International Education.

Citizen exchanges are a key component and asset of political diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy in that they garner goodwill abroad, serve as a foundation for partnership, and counter malign influence. Investing in youth from the U.S. and YES countries benefits the U.S. and equips the next generation of leaders with a global lens, cultural competency, and leadership skills.

According to Michael Curtis, Executive Vice President for Strategic Development at American Councils for International Education—a USGLC coalition member: “What makes YES Abroad such an effective Department of State program is its emphasis on immersion. Students … engage in their communities, allowing them to share American culture while deeply respecting and learning from the traditions, perspectives, and daily life of their host countries. The YES experiences forge lifelong relationships and strengthen trust and understanding in regions where strong bilateral relations are so important.”

The YES program equips the next generation of American leaders with essential language proficiency and professional and problem-solving skills. Reflecting on their experience on YES Abroad, 94% of alumni report they promoted American ideals in their host communities and 97% report that they increased their personal and professional skills. Of the international YES alumni, 98% report an increased understanding of U.S. culture and 94% reported having more favorable opinions about Americans following their exchange year. The YES program is the beginning of a lifelong connection with the U.S., with alumni often continuing their engagement with American citizens, businesses, and institutions long after their time in America has come to a close.

YES and YES Abroad have enjoyed strong Congressional support since their founding. Last fall, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, urging that congressionally approved FY25 funding for 21 Department of State ECA programs be restored.

“The educational and cultural exchange programs…advance U.S. national security…and strengthen economic competitiveness…all of which are core pillars of U.S. foreign policy and essential to the Administration’s foreign policy agenda. These programs are proven and cost-effective ways to strengthen U.S. global leadership and credibility,” they wrote. In fact, the State Department estimates that 90% of program funding is spent on American citizens and companies.

The support extends from the Senate to the House where Representative Ami Bera (D-CA) expressed that “Educational and cultural exchange programs are among our most effective tools for advancing U.S. national security, strengthening diplomatic relations, and sustaining American global leadership.”

The YES program and YES Abroad are possible because Congress, high school students, teachers, community leaders, and host families have said “YES” to promoting American principles of freedom and security through student exchanges. YES Abroad alumni pursue tertiary education nearly 2.5 times the national average and apply their experience to careers in international business, government, and academia. These programs are more than exchanges—they are strategic investments in the next generation of American leadership and our reservoir of goodwill around the world.