FY 2026 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES)
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DFOP0017979
- Agency
-
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- $10,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Points of contact
-
- Katja David-Fox foxko@state.gov
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs seeks proposals for a cooperative agreement to implement the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) high school exchange program. The organization selected will be responsible for managing overseas operations, recruiting and selecting inbound foreign participants, arranging international travel, managing host family and school placements for up to 270 high school students in the United States, organizing American Excellence enhancement activities, and providing ongoing monitoring and support services during the January-June 2027 academic semester. Applicants must be U.S. not-for-profit organizations or educational institutions with a minimum of four years of experience conducting international exchanges, possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and maintain active registration with SAM.gov. The program may optionally include a YES Abroad outbound component for up to 30 American high school students studying overseas. The application deadline is May 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with an anticipated award date of June 20, 2026, and ECA expects to issue one award.
The anticipated cooperative agreement award is approximately $10,000,000 for a 15-month performance period ending September 30, 2027. The program will accommodate up to 270 foreign inbound participants (with a minimum of 130 expected) who will live with U.S. host families, attend accredited high schools, perform community service, and participate in leadership development activities, with budgeted costs including monthly stipends of $200 per participant, $400 per student for American Excellence activities, health insurance, and emergency funds. Performance locations encompass both the United States for inbound participant placements and overseas operations in strategically important countries for recruitment and selection activities. Recipients must comply with J-1 visa Exchange Visitor Program regulations, establish comprehensive monitoring systems including monthly site visits covering 10-20 percent of participants, maintain SEVIS records, and submit semi-annual performance reports demonstrating outcomes using the ECA Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework with specified performance indicators.
Synopsis
2 versions
Update #2 · Latest ·
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invite proposals for a cooperative agreement to implement the FY 2026 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) high school exchange program, hereafter referred to as the YES program. Participants will be on program from approximately January to June 2027. The program requires the following elements:
· Manage overseas operations, recruit and select inbound participants, arrange travel, and oversee database and website management for all inbound participants, as well as coordinate the overall program.
· Manage host family and school placements for inbound foreign participants in the United States, organize "American Excellence" enhancement activities, and provide ongoing monitoring and support.
Although not required, applicants have the option to also propose a YES Abroad outbound component, recruiting, placing, and monitoring up to 30 American students who will attend high school and live with host families overseas.
The YES program advances U.S. interests by cultivating a network of young leaders who understand and support U.S. principles and priorities, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, civic engagement, and leadership. The program equips American youth participants with language skills and cross-cultural competencies essential for success in international business, diplomacy, and security. By fostering connections among young people from the United States and key countries, the program supports the National Security Strategy's focus on expanding alliances to secure American interests and counter adversarial influence.
Key Activities:
- Up to 270 foreign high school participants will study in the U.S. for an academic semester.
- All participants live with host families, attend high school, perform community service, and participate in American Excellence enhancement activities.
ECA expects to issue one award. Please see announcement for additional information.
Update #1 ·
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invite proposals for a cooperative agreement to implement the FY 2026 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) high school exchange program, hereafter referred to as the YES program. Participants will be on program from approximately January to June 2027. The program requires the following elements: Manage overseas operations, recruit and select inbound participants, arrange travel, and oversee database and website management for all inbound participants, as well as coordinate the overall program. Manage host family and school placements for inbound foreign participants in the United States, organize "American Excellence" enhancement activities, and provide ongoing monitoring and support. Although not required, applicants have the option to also propose a YES Abroad outbound component, recruiting, placing, and monitoring up to 30 American students who will attend high school and live with host families overseas. The YES program advances U.S. interests by cultivating a network of young leaders who understand and support U.S. principles and priorities, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, civic engagement, and leadership. The program equips American youth participants with language skills and cross-cultural competencies essential for success in international business, diplomacy, and security. By fostering connections among young people from the United States and key countries, the program supports the National Security Strategy's focus on expanding alliances to secure American interests and counter adversarial influence. Please see announcement for additional information.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| performance_monitoring_plan_mode_2.3_02.03.2025-4.docx | DOCX document | |
| performance_monitoring_plan_mode_2.3_02.03.2025.pdf | ||
| FY26 YES - POGI.pdf | ||
| FY 2026 YES - NOFO.pdf |
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