From February 22-28, 2020 almost 100 YES students participated in the first YES Civic Education Workshop of 2020 in Washington, DC. Six IRIS students were among this group. Throughout the week, students visited the U.S. Department of State, took part in various seminars and heard...
This Christmas I got the best gift of my life from my host family. I went to my grandparents’ house in Florida for a week with my host mom. We planned a day-long trip to Kennedy Space center on Christmas day. I am a big...
Before I came to the United States, I asked some of the Nigerian alumni to tell me some fun facts about Iowa. The first thing everyone told me is that it is so cold, as in freezing. My coordinator told me that there are some...
Mohamed got a taste of one of America’s favorite past times during the first half of his exchange year: football. Mohamed from Egypt played as a cornerback this past season at Nevada High School. A cornerback is a member of the defensive team in American...
The world’s population is going to hit 9.7 billion by 2050 and when that time comes, the world may not be able to sustain the amount of mouths to feed. And especially that climate change has brought up extreme challenges along with the rise of...
We know it's hard to forget an exchange student once they finish their year here in the United States, especially as a host family. That’s why we started our “Where Are They Now?” series to ask some of our alumni what they have been up...
As our many host families know, you never forget your exchange student, and are often left wondering “What are they up to now?” At IRIS, we keep in contact with your alumni once they return home and are delighted to hear their stories of how they are impacting their...
By Warda Belem (YES 2017-2018, Mali, hosted by IRIS in Shenandoah, IA) Originally posted on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study website While on the YES program, I was in the beautiful town of Shenandoah in the state of Iowa. My placement organization, IRIS, and my host...
By Mussa Mbugi (YES 2012-2013, Tanzania, recruited by IRIS, hosted by ASEE in Redmond, OR) Originally posted on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study website My exchange year taught me that the more you give back to the community, the more you develop in your profession, and...
Thirty students from countries across Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia come to Iowa each school year to attend American high school, learn about American culture and gain an understanding of Western culture. However, these students would not be able to do this if...