Exchange Opportunities

SYLP
Serbia Youth Leadership Program

Program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
and the Embassy of the USA in Belgrade
administered by American Councils for International Education, Youth Ventures, Fractal, World Learning and Civic Initiatives

Description of the Program administered by American Councils:
The Serbia Youth Leadership Program (SYLP) supports the development of community activism, leadership development, respect for diversity, and civic education in youth from Serbia and the United States. This short-term cultural and educational exchange between Serbian and American high school students and teachers/community leaders will teach participants valuable skills of social entrepreneurship such as identifying and diagnosing community problems, using new technologies to communicate effectively, and teamwork and consensus building.

SYLP participants will be recruited from Novi Beograd, Novi Pazar, Raška, Srbobran, Vrbas, and Užice. Up to 56 students from Serbia aged 15-17 and four to ten teachers/community leaders will travel to the United States to participate in a four-week program that enables them to gain skills that will help them to launch a successful Youth Venture— a community-based project—once returning to Serbia. Participants will take part in a week-long orientation in Washington, DC that prepares them for their two and a half week program in a U.S. community. Students will be divided into three groups and accompanied by one or two youth leaders from Serbia. Each group will travel to a U.S. community, to live with American host families, and to actively participate in a program that focuses on a specific theme. Each city has a different theme;

participants in Minneapolis, Minnesota will focus on student activism and expanding educational opportunities;
participants in San Francisco, California will examine the immigrant experience in the United States to focus on equality issues and ethnic tolerance in a multi-ethnic, pluralistic society;
participants in Seattle, Washington will focus on grassroots activism from the local to the global levels.

SYLP participants will return to Washington DC to participate in an end-of-program conference where experiences from the three host communities will be shared and evaluated for possible Youth Venture initiatives in Serbia. After returning to Serbia, all participants will take part in a Community Panel—made up of potential funders, non-governmental organizations, representatives from partner organizations, and U.S. Youth Venturers—where they will present plans for their venture. The panel will offer suggestions and give guidance designed to make the ventures as successful as possible. During July 2010, 15 U.S. participants from the U.S. host communities will travel to Serbia for a two-week exchange program. SYLP finalists from Serbia will eligible to apply to host their U.S. counterparts. All SYLP participants will have the opportunity to interact with the U.S. participants during their exchange in Serbia.

The Serbia Youth Leadership Program will enable participants to:

develop their sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development;
become part of a group of community activists who will share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action and collaboration;
foster understanding and build relationships with youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups;
promote mutual understanding between the people of Serbia and the United States.

SYLP Program Calendar

Pre-departure Orientation in Serbia	March 2010
Washington DC Program	April 2010
U.S. Program (Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco)	April 2010-May2010
End of Program Conference in Washington DC	May 2010
Community Panels (Presentations of Venture Projects)	July2010
U.S. Participants travel to Serbia	July 2010

SYLP Application:

Online SYLP Application for Youths
Download the SYLP Youth Application
Download the SYLP Adult Application

Deadline for Application Submission: SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

SYLP DOCUMENTS

SYLP is also administered by organization Civic Initiatives in the following municipalities: Blace, Kikinda, Obrenovac, Smederevo, Sokobanja, Zrenjanin, Palilula and Savski Venac. If you live or go to school in one of these municipalities, and would like to apply for SYLP, please visit www.gradjanske.org for more information.