National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
Spark a Lifelong Interest in Languages and Culture
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year overseas immersion programs.
iEARN-USA began implementing the NSLI-Y program in 2009. iEARN-USA implements summer programs in Morocco, South Korea, Taiwan and academic-year programs in South Korea and Taiwan. NSLI-Y Program participants improve their language skills and are critical to the U.S. Department of State’s people-to-people diplomacy efforts.
NSLI-Y Interactive
iEARN-USA manages the NSLI-Y Interactive website for the NSLI-Y program. The website highlights the lifelong impact of the study abroad program on youth through student and alumni stories. Students and alumni of the eight critical languages taught on NSLI-Y share their program experience via writing, photography, and other multimedia.
Virtual Events
iEARN-USA hosts virtual events to enhance and share the NSLI-Y program experience. In classroom connection events, NSLI-Y students living abroad join a language classroom in the U.S. to discuss their program experience and answer questions in the target language. In open registration events , NSLI-Y students and alumni present on specific aspects of their program and alumni experiences to an audience of prospective students, parents, and teachers.
