Alumni Activities
Since the inception in 1992 of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program, more than 14,000 high school students from Eurasia have come to the United States to participate in this academic year exchange. The vast majority of these students have returned to their home countries at the end of the program, either to complete high school or to enter university. Throughout Eurasia, a network of active alumni associations exists and is ready and eager to welcome returning participants.
Organization of Alumni
FLEX alumni are coordinated under the FLEX Administrative Components grant with American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. There are 20 FLEX bases of operation (called "program hubs") throughout Eurasia, staffed by ACTR/ACCELS: six in Russia, four in Ukraine, and one in each of the other countries. The program hubs provide a focal point for the organization of alumni activities in the regions where they are located. At least 10 additional alumni groups have been organized by alumni themselves in more remote regions where there is no American Councils office. A full-time alumni coordinator who oversees all alumni activities is located in Moscow. A quarterly newsletter, The Bradley Herald, is sent to all FLEX alumni. Although it is compiled and published by the alumni coordinator, the newsletter mainly consists of contributions by alumni from varying program years. (Follow the link above for a listing of various issues of the newsletter and other alumni publications.)
Alumni programming has three major purposes:
- Tracking of alumni
- Ensuring that alumni have an opportunity and are encouraged to continue their "American" experience
- Preparing alumni reports
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Alumni Program
Legislative Education and Practice (LEAP) Program
Ten young Russian FLEX alumni are currently in the US as the inaugural class of Legislative Education and Practice (LEAP) program interns. After an intensive course in the US political system held in Washington, DC, the interns spend six months in internships with state legislatures in Annapolis, MD; Boston, MA; Frankfort, KY; Hartford, CT; Juneau, AK; and Washington, DC. They are also living with host families. Following their US-based program, they will return to Russia to share what they learned with their peers through mock legislatures, conferences, etc. The goal is to expand interest in the political process among their Russian peers and help develop an understanding of why citizen participation in the political process can make a difference. See related article at http://usinfo.state.gov/eur/Archive/2005/Dec/15-239464.html.
Alumni Assistants
ACTR/ACCELS hires a part-time alumni assistant (AA) for each hub. These assistants, who can be alumni of any program year except the most recent, are selected through a competitive process and earn a small monthly salary. They assist the ACTR/ACCELS FLEX staff person in coordinating alumni activities for that hub. Since the hubs are located in major cities, one important goal for the alumni assistants is to find ways to include more alumni from the remote regions. Second, each FLEX program hub staffer is required to submit to the Alumni Coordinator in the Fall a schedule of projected alumni activities for the year. An Alumni Assistants Training Conference is held each fall to ensure that new AAs are properly trained and that all AAs are apprised of recent developments and innovations.
Alumni Grants Program
Since 2001, FLEX alumni have been offered the opportunity to participate in an Alumni Grants Program. Individual grants up to $250 support such efforts as attendance at conferences and community service projects. Group grants up to $3,000 support activities such as professional development or teaching programs, community service programs, promotion of English language and American culture, etc. The program proved so effective that it will be repeated every year, provided funding permits. In 2003, 35 grants were awarded. In 2004, 41 grants were awarded for projects now being carried out by alumni throughout Eurasia.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will again support the FLEX Alumni Grants Program in 2005 and particularly encourages alumni, who have not previously submitted proposals, to do so. The deadline for submission of grant proposals is February 1, 2005. Contact the alumni assistant in the office nearest you to learn about more about this program, obtain applications, participate in grant writing seminars and receive individual consultations. Guidelines and grant application forms are also available on-line at the American Councils web site or from the FLEX Moscow Alumni Office at fsaalumni@actr.ru.
In Summer 2004, nine FLEX alumni won places in the Lehigh University Iacocca Institute's Global Village for Future Leaders of Business and Industry. Alumnus/a represent a different Eurasian country.
Types of Alumni Activities
Alumni activities are varied and are frequently chosen by the alumni themselves. They may include such things as celebration of American holidays (e.g. Halloween, Thanksgiving, July 4th), resume-writing workshops, guest speakers, watching American films, pizza parties, debates (sometimes against another FLEX alumni association), and a variety of community service activities. They may also include political activities (e.g. pre-election campaigning or observing at polling places during an election). There must be a minimum of six scheduled activities during the year (held approximately bi-monthly), and these six must be in keeping with the democracy-building goals of the FLEX program. For example, it is considered extremely important for FLEX participants to learn democratic values, such as citizen empowerment and volunteerism, while they are in the U.S., and all students are encouraged to do some kind of community service work (a concept that is foreign in many parts of Eurasia). This is one of the ideas that alumni tend to "take home" with them and is the reason why alumni associations include community service work in their activities.
For many examples of alumni activities see American Councils' alumni reports and follow the links to the individual reports.