Joe Faullin has been awarded a national YES Abroad scholarship for 2016-17. He will live with a host family and study in Bandung, Indonesia for the academic year and represent the United States as a student and youth ambassador.

Faullin is one of only 65 competitively selected students from across the United States to receive a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to participate in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program. The merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Joe a full cultural immersion through living with a host family in Indonesia, attending a local high school in Bandung, and helping him develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community. The YES Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Through Faullin’s participation in the YES Abroad program, he will be at the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in his host country, promoting mutual understanding by building lasting relationships with his host family and friends, and through community engagement in volunteer service and leadership training.

The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001, as an effort to increase dialogue and mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of countries with significant Muslim populations. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program was expanded in 2007 to include YES Abroad for American high school students. For the 2016-17 academic year, YES Abroad provides opportunities for Americans to study for one academic year in select countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Thailand and Turkey.

Follow Joe’s journey through his blog:

http://www.joefaullin.com