Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan


The Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan

is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)

U.S. Department of State and administered

by American Councils for International Education

 

Program Description:

The Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan (YLP) is a short-term cultural and educational exchange program focused on expanding relationships between U.S. and Azerbaijani students, educators, and communities from differing ethnic, religious, and social groups and strengthening ties between the two countries. Program activities will inspire youth participants with a sense of civic responsibility and a commitment to community service. The program will seek to develop a group of community organizers who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers at home as they work toward common societal goals and interests.

 

Two groups of 34 Azerbaijani high school students and six teachers/community leaders will travel to the United States in the summer of 2012 and 2013 and visit the program sites of Seattle, Washington or Tempe, Arizona and Washington, D.C.   Azerbaijani participants aged 15-17 and teachers/community leaders will participate in a three-week program.  Additionally, two groups of 17 American high school students together with three teachers/community leaders will travel to Azerbaijan in the summer of 2012 and 2013 and visit the program sites in Baku, Ganja, and Sheki for three weeks.  All YLP participants will explore the theme of social entrepreneurship for youth to illustrate the program’s broader themes of civic responsibility, youth leadership development, respect for diversity, and community involvement.  The program will conclude with an orientation in the Washington, D.C. area.

 

Program organizers will develop comprehensive agendas centered on the theme of social entrepreneurship for youth. Participants from each country will be exposed to one another’s history, language, and culture through program activities, and will interact with host country peers. Participants will be encouraged to implement projects that serve a community need and share what they learned on-program upon returning home.

 

Students will be divided into two groups and accompanied by three teachers/community leaders from Azerbaijan. Each group will travel to a U.S. community, to live with American host families, and actively participate in a program that focuses on a specific theme. Each city has a different theme;

  • participants in Seattle, Washington will focus on personal and group leadership; service and social responsibility; citizenship and discourse; and perspective and diversity.
  • groups travelling to Tempe, Arizona will investigating entrepreneurship issues, indigenous communities, human rights issues, and critical thinking skills.

 

YLP groups will reconvene for a workshop in the Washington, D.C. area to share program experiences and focus on how to continue the exchange experience once participants return home.  Participants will work to develop plans for their follow-on projects and participate in a post-program workshop for Azerbaijani participants in Baku.


The Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan will enable participants to:

  • develop their sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development;
  • become part of a group of community organizers who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action and collaboration;
  • foster understanding and build relationships with youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups;
  • promote mutual understanding between the people of Azerbaijan and the United States.

 

YLPA Program Calendar

 

Application deadline November 18, 2011
Selection notification March 2012
Azerbaijani and U.S. YLP  virtual Global Youth Service Day event April 2012

Pre-departure orientation for Azerbaijani participants in Baku

 August 2012
Azerbaijani participants travel to the U.S. September 2012
Post-program workshop for Azerbaijani participants. December 2012

 

Eligibility Requirements –Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan:

To apply for the program, students must certify that they meet the eligibility requirements outlined below.

 

  • Must be 15 to 17 years of age at the start of the program
    (birth date must be between January 1, 1995, and August 15, 1997, inclusive),
  • Must be an 8th, 9th, or 10th grade student when applying for the program,
  • Must be currently enrolled in a participating secondary school in one of the following cities or regions: Baku and Absheron Peninsula, including Sumqayit, the Southern Region of Azerbaijan including Salyan, Jalilabad, Lankaran, Massali, and Lerik, and the Western Region of Azerbaijan including Ganja, Tovus, Agstafa, and Gazakh, and the Central Region of Azerbaijan including Kurdamir, Imishli and Shirvan,
  • Must have an academic standing of “good” or better,
  • Must have previously studied English and will demonstrate a high level of English-language ability at the time of registration,
  • Must be a citizen of Azerbaijan,
  • Must demonstrate leadership potential and a desire to contribute to the community,
  • Must meet U.S. visa eligibility requirements,
  • Must be able to travel to the U.S. in September 2012,
  • Must commit to participating in a Global Youth Service Day event on the weekend of April 20-22, 2012, and the virtual development of the program with other YLP participants, and
  • Must not be an immediate family member of individuals who work with the YLP at the U.S. Department of State, American Councils, or one of the implementing organizations.

 

How to Apply to the Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan

Applicants must:

  • Complete the application form and essay questions on-line.
  • Upload a copy of your identification card (shexsiyyet vesigesi).  If you do not have an ID , you can attach a copy of your birth certificate.
  • Upload a visa photo (5×5).

 

Applicants must provide all parts of the application, ID copy or birth certificate AND visa photos. If the application is not complete the applicant will not be considered for the program. Semi-finalists will be notified of their status mid-December, 2011 and will be invited for an interview and further testing in December 2011.

 

 

Where and When to Submit Your Application

Applications must be submitted online at http://ais.americancouncils.org

or to the American Councils office in Baku by November 18, 2011.

Paper applications must be POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN November 18, 2011, and mailed to:

Ramina Murshudova
American Councils for International Education
Caspian Business Center
40, J. Jabbarli Str., 2nd floor
AZ1065 Baku
AZERBAIJAN

 

About the Program

The Youth Leadership Program with Azerbaijan (YLP) for program year 2012 is a three-week exchange program focusing on expanding relationships between U.S. and Azerbaijani students, educators, and communities from differing ethnic, religious, and social groups and strengthening ties between the two countries. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is administered by American Councils for International Education:ACTR/ACCELS (American Councils).

 

Purpose:

  • To engage participants in activities to increase their mutual understanding and develop their skills and knowledge about the program themes of civic responsibility, youth leadership development, respect for diversity, and community engagement.

Objectives:

  • To develop a sense of civic responsibility and a commitment to international understanding and cooperation among youth
  • To develop a cadre of youth leaders who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action

Goals:

  • To promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and Azerbaijan
  • To ensure enduring ties between both governments and societies by fostering relationships among youth

Program features for all participants include workshops in the Washington, D.C. area; homestays with host families; high school exchanges; community service projects; sessions to explore the theme of social entrepreneurship, civic rights and responsibilities, youth leadership development, respect for diversity, and community engagement; cultural excursions; and a community service workshop to bring together students, teachers, and educators from both countries to develop projects that meet the needs of the communities and to reflect on the importance of civic responsibility.

American Councils and its partners will collaborate on this project, offering students, teachers, and community members from the U.S. and Azerbaijan the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and a deeper understanding of each country’s history and culture. The program promotes the establishment of enduring ties with peers from other countries while exploring the vital commonalities of education, politics, and culture.