American and Serbia Exchange Students Discuss Shared Experiences

November 18, 2008

U.S. and Serbian students with Embassy representatives on the balcony of Dom Omladine

Exchange of the Serbia Youth Leadership Program

On Wednesday, November 19, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., high school students from Serbia and the United States who participated in the Serbia Youth Leadership Program will hold a press conference together with Belgrade based NGO, Civic Initiatives.

The Serbia Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) is a short-term exchange program for Serbian and American high school students active in youth empowerment and community development activities. SYLP is financed by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by World Learning and Civic Initiatives.

Under the SYLP program, approximately 60 students and educators from Serbia spent one month in the United States, where they traveled throughout the U.S., visited American schools, stayed with American host families and participated in volunteer projects. In order to make this a true two-way exchange, groups of American students also visited Serbia. The purpose of the program is to strengthen ties between youth and educators in the two countries, as well as to exchange experience in promoting community development activities.

The second group of American students visiting Serbia under the SYLP program takes place November 6 - 20th. Five American students and one teacher from Denver and Huntsville are being hosted by the 20 Serbian high school students who spent one month in the United States in September, 2007. During their 15-day stay in Serbia, students were placed in host families in Bajina Basta, Prijepolje, Senta, Kikinda and Palilula, enabling them to spend time with their Serbian friends and learn more about Serbian culture, tradition and language, as well as participate in community development activities.
On November 19th the American students, together with their Serbian hosts, will hold a press conference where they will talk about their exchange experiences in both countries, and organizers from World Learning and Civic Initiatives will announce recruitment for the second generation of Serbia Youth Leadership Program.

For additional information, please contact Ms. Suzana Djordjevic from Civic Initiatives at suzana@gradjanske.org.