Aspect Foundation is honored to be a grant recipient participating in the US State Department's Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program.

Under the supervision of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the FLEX Program provides an opportunity for high school students from the countries of the former Soviet Union to experience life in a democratic society in order to promote democratic values and institutions in Eurasia.

Countries participating in the FLEX program include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Please visit the official program website: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/students/eurasia/flex.htm

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) was established in 1992 as the centerpiece of the NIS Secondary School Initiative with FREEDOM Support Act funding from the State Department and USAID. Its goal is to provide an opportunity for high school students from the countries of the former Soviet Union to experience life in a democratic society in order to promote democratic values and institutions in Eurasia. The Department of State awards grants for school and host family placement and overall student monitoring to private U.S. organizations.

In 1992, Aspect Foundation was among the first USA placement organizations to participate in the FLEX Program (which was at that time called the Freedom Support Act, or FSA Program.) As one of the original participating organizations, Aspect Foundation staff contributed to shaping the program. In fact, Aspect is credited with having initiated the mandatory Community Service component, which continues to be an integral part of the FLEX Program today. You can feel honored to be a part of this tradition of excellence!

Svetlana Romanova from Russia making her International Education Week presentation at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama.

Since the program's inception, more than 11,000 students from the former Soviet Union have spent one academic year attending schools and living with host families throughout the United States.

After their exchange year has ended and they have returned home, students have the option to participate in one of the numerous alumni associations active throughout each of the countries of Eurasia.

*"Eurasia", as used herein, refers to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, countries that were republics of the Soviet Union. The exchange programs of the Youth Programs Division in these countries are primarily funded by the FREEDOM Support Act (FSA) of 1992.

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