Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP)
About the Program
(We were asked not to share the faces of the participants to ensure their safety upon return to Iraq).
The Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) for high school and undergraduate students is a program sponsored and funded by the US Embassy, Baghdad and U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Youth Programs Division. Students are selected by the U.S. Embassy through a competitive application process. During the program, youth students will develop leadership skills, learn about U.S. history and culture, and build a network of emerging leaders. FIUTS has produced a 2-week portion of the 3-week program through a contract with World Learning since 2023, and the program is fully funded by the U. S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Students arrived in Seattle on July 26th and stayed until August 7th, 2024.
Get Involved
All high school and university students in the Seattle area could get involved in the IYLEP program by applying to be an IYLEP Ambassador. Ambassadors are a critical piece of the program and act as peer mentors, cultural liaisons, friends and student leaders. IYLEP Ambassadors learned new skills, built their resume, made international friends and had fun! Learn more about the Ambassador program here.
If you have questions about the Ambassador program, please contact FIUTS Program Specialist: Education Programs, Nada Ramadan, at nada@fiuts.org.
Community Members
Community Members hosted one or more IYLEP participants for the duration of their time here. Homestay was an important opportunity for participants to learn about U.S. culture and connect with local people. On the final evening, all hosts were invited to join us for dinner to celebrate the program and enjoy public speeches from student participants. Please contact olena@fiuts.org for information about hosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do in order to become a host? Please fill out the availability form to share your information with us. Then, we’ll be in touch with you to share additional details . Please note that if you are a new host for youth programs through FIUTS, we may ask you to provide information so that we can do a criminal background check; this is requested by our partners in order to ensure the safety of the youth involved in the program.
After I submit the form, what are the next steps? We’ll be in touch once we receive your form to confirm your participation. We’ll also ask you to send us a short bio and photos of you and your family/home that we can share with the matched students. The youth have also provided information about themselves that we will share with you so that you can learn about them before you meet in person!
Where can I find more general information about hosting? You can check out the Hosting FAQ page to find more information about hosting for this visiting program or other programs offered at FIUTS.