The U.S. State Department established the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) in October 2002 to provide scholarships for secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend an academic year in the U.S.

The department's Web site says the program is "vital to expanding communication between the people of the United States and the partner countries in the interest of promoting mutual understanding and respect."

The first group of YES students came to the Rogue Valley in 2004,

During academic year 2006-07, 675 students will join the program from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei, Egypt, Gaza, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel's Arab community known as Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, West Bank, and Yemen. This will be the first year for students from Brunei, Ghana and Thailand.

Students go through a rigorous selection process with written tests of English skills and interviews. Hundreds of students apply for around 20 positions from each country, participants said.

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While in the U.S., students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures.

Upon returning to their home countries, participants share their experiences and do community service projects.

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) was established in 1992 to provide an opportunity for high school students from the countries of the former Soviet Union to experience life in a democratic society. It strives "to promote democratic values and institutions in Eurasia," the State Department Web site said.

More than 14,000 students from the former Soviet Union have spent one academic year in the U.S. through the program. They participate in group activities here and conduct U.S.-funded community activities when they return home.

-- Anita Burke