TRANSFORMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
Shaping Lives and Communities American Councils has provided life-changing experiences to more than 75,000 alumni from across the globe. Combined, participants: • • •
• • •
Volunteered more than 1 million hours in their communities at home and abroad. Gave over 13,000 presentations on world cultures and countries last year, reaching more than 258,000 people across the United States. Inspired countless blogs, articles, and op-eds in local, national, and international outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, BuzzFeed, Mashable.com, Fortune, Teen Vogue, and USA Today. Spread awareness for community projects, like Mwalimu, from Kenya, who raised $23,000 to build and install his village’s first freshwater well. Expressed a continued interest in languages, including 92% of NSLI-Y alumni. Maintained connections with new friends, teachers, and host parents after the program ends.
Keti Bochorishvili FLEX in South Carolina Keti Bochorishvili was chosen as a Future Leader in 1997. In the ensuing years, she has taken that title as an edict, finding success wherever she goes. She started as an active alumna, before building her career and working as the Deputy Minister of Economy in Georgia. She held that post for seven years before transitioning to the private sector and her latest challenge: CEO. When asked about how she got her start, for a cover story in Forbes Georgia, she said FLEX was the turning point. FLEX is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
“Our kids, many of whom have lived in Alabama their entire lives, get their boundaries stretched and their experiences broadened by making friends with our exchange students.” --PRINCIPAL JOEL DIXON, CALERA HIGH SCHOOL, ALABAMA
Zana Zeqiri Rudi US-KAEF in Massachusetts Before becoming Kosova’s first ambassador to Panama and El Salvador, Zana Zeqiri Rudi already showed promise. She earned a place in the US-KAEF program, which provides enterprising Kosovars fellowships at toptier U.S. universities. After completing her Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University, she worked as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Kosova. Ambassador Rudi now works to maintain strong diplomatic relations between Panama, El Salvador, and her home country. US-KAEF is sponsored by private funding.
About Us American Councils designs meaningful international experiences that create informed and empowered global citizens. We are a nonprofit that partners with governments, institutions, and organizations to establish educational programs across the world—particularly in strategically important regions vital to international relations, economy, and security. In 1974, we developed the first exchanges between scholars from the Former Soviet Union and the United States. Today we support collaborative education between the United States and Africa, Asia, Eurasia, the Middle East, and South America. Our academic and professional programs are backed by thorough research and practice that ensures their quality. Throughout our 40-year journey, we have worked in 85 countries and built a community of more than 75,000 alumni—from high school and college students to ambassadors, diplomats, journalists, artists, educators, and other professionals.
75,000 alumni
85
countries where we recruit or offer programs
98%
of our budget, on average, goes directly toward programs and participants
40
languages offered
30
AC offices worldwide
5,000 scholarships offered annually on average
450 staff
Farea al-Muslim YES Program in California Farea was the first Yemeni person to speak before the U.S. Senate, serves on an advisory board for the United Nations, and has been honored as a Top Global Thinker in Foreign Policy Magazine. His journey began in a remote, mountain village in Yemen, where he sought out a way to learn English – his first step toward studying in the U.S. through the YES program. It was also his first step toward becoming a global influencer. “[It opened doors to other opportunities, which have allowed me to see the world beyond my village and feel that I can have an impact,” he said. YES is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
American Councils designs meaningful international experiences that create informed and empowered global citizens. Li Qiong Teachers of Critical Languages Program in Arizona Li didn’t seek out recognition for her work teaching Mandarin, but her efforts were noticed. She brought her students in Arizona and China together through a sister school program, giving all students more authentic language opportunities and more importantly, new friendships. She kept it going with grants through the TCLP alumni program. Li’s work earned her an award from then Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, a high honor for her contributionto strengthened ties between the U.S. and China. TCLP is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Why American Councils At its core, international education is personal. It changes the trajectory of our participants’ lives and their communities’ spirits. People return home with new ideas and stories, certainly, but also new friendships and shared connections. Leonardo, from Timor-Leste, knew what to expect from his course schedule at the University of Minnesota. But he didn’t know that somewhere in between watching the leaves change colors for the first time and learning about Thanksgiving, he would find a second family in the United States and a place he could call home for the next four years. At American Councils, we are glad to be a part of experiences like Leonardo’s as they unfold. International education programs present incredible results on a grand scale: improved international relations and circulation of ideas and innovation in the arts, business, science, technology, and social enterprise. Or, for someone like Leonardo, it can change your life.
Our Funding We operate with an average annual budget of $80M, secured by competitive grant awards and charitable donations. On average, 98% of our budget goes directly toward our programs and participants. Private donations of all denominations help us provide additional support for participants. That might be a suitcase for a student taking their first flight or warm coats for graduate fellows who have never seen snow. All funding enables educational programming that has a lasting impact on participants. Their experiences motivate them to support their communities and contribute to society, at home and abroad.
Mwalimu William Karisa YES Program in Iowa The water fountains in Davenport, Iowa changed Mwalimu’s life. During his exchange year in the U.S., he often thought about his mother in his village in Kenya. She walked several miles each day to get clean water. And then he took action. His host community helped raise $23,000, and when he returned to Kenya, that money funded a village well. Over the next few years, his Kenyan and American communities supported Mwalimu’s next venture, a community healthcare clinic. It all started with the YES program. YES is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
On average, 98% of our budget goes directly toward our programs and participants.
Shpat Deda US-KAEF in Pennsylvania American Councils’ alumni have often found success after their programs conclude. Two years after he studied at Temple University through USKAEF, Shpat earned a British Academy Film Award for the Best Short Film. He worked as a producer on HOME, which was partially shot in Kosova, and was the first Kosovar production to receive BAFTA accolades. “We need to build more bridges so that the Kosovar talent comes to international attention because we already have many successes to prove that this is possible,” he said. US-KAEF is sponsored by private funding.
LEARN MORE Visit our website to learn more about our programs, assessment, and research at americancouncils.org PARTNER WITH US info@americancouncils.org 202-833-7522 / 1828 L St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 / 501(c)(3) taxexempt nonprofit organization CONNECT WITH US @AC_Global Facebook: AmericanCouncils
TRANSFORMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
AC by the Numbers 98.12% of our budget goes directly toward programs and participants 75,000 alumni 5,000 scholarships offered annually on average 85 countries where we recruit or offer programs 40 languages offered to study 30 AC offices worldwide 450 staff
75,000 alumni
98.12%
85
countries where we recruit or offer programs
of our budget goes directly toward programs and participants
40
languages offered
30
AC offices worldwide
5,000 scholarships offered annually on average
450 staff