Feb. 12, 2012, Application Deadline

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON D.C./EWORLDWIRE/Jan. 23, 2012 --- In summer 2012, Meridian International Center will implement the U.S. Department of State's Youth Leadership Program with Central Europe (YLPCE). The program's focus is to bring together young leaders and adult mentors from Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States to build cultural bridges and work together to enhance their leadership skills to solve community problems. A total of 64 youth and adult leaders will participate in the two-year project aimed at developing the next generation of young leaders.

Now in its second year, alumni from 2011 referred to the program as "a once in a lifetime opportunity," "the best summer of my life," and "an amazing opportunity to realize your own leadership potential." The leadership program is not only about developing skills and learning how to build a community initiative but also about building friendships among international peers, sharing culture and history that is not taught in history classes and experiencing first hand a new culture and customs. Participants are selected from the following target areas from a diverse pool which brings together different nationalities, races and socioeconomic status and seeks to select not just the smartest students but more so the most driven and engaged youth. For more information or an application, visit: http://www.meridian.org/ylpce2012

European Target Countries: Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia

U.S. Target Cities: Burlington, Vermont, Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri, Raleigh, North Carolina

The deadline for U.S. applicants is Feb. 12, 2012, at midnight.

The program begins with 48 Central European youth and adult participants travelling to Washington, D.C., for an overview of U.S. history, politics and culture. Leadership development will begin leadership and teambuilding workshops and will continue throughout the exchange with visits to local community. Participants will focus on issues such as environmental awareness, underserved youth, and international hunger relief and will be welcomed into the homes of their American counterparts for two weeks to experience American culture and the life an American teenager. Throughout the program American and European participants will develop well-crafted Action Plans to implement long-term collaborative projects addressed to a specific community need.

Following the conclusion of the European participants trip to the United States, 15 youth and adult leaders from Raleigh, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Burlington, Vt., will then travel to Serbia and Hungary to learn more about youth initiatives in Europe and participate in workshops to develop their own leadership skills. The European trip will include time in Serbia and Hungary and includes meetings with youth organizations and workshops developing leadership and project management skills. Students will enjoy reciprocal homestays with Serbian families, many of which will be with YLPCE Alumni.

The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of States Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by Meridian International Center, a not-for-profit institution based in Washington, D.C.

To learn more information about the program or to apply for the U.S. exchange, please e-mail micyouthleaders@gmail.com or call (202) 478-4459.

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CONTACT:
Micaela Thurman
Meridian International Center
1630 Crescent Place NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20009
PHONE. (202) 478-4459

SOURCE: Meridian International Center