March 13, 2016
On March 10, the United States Embassy in Kabul hosted a welcome home celebration for 59 Afghan youth and 6 Afghan coaches who participated in the Youth Solidarity and English Language Camp. The participants, who come from Kabul, Nangarhar, Jawzjan, and Herat provinces, spent 4 weeks together in Antalya Turkey improving their English language skills, learning about American culture and sports, and exploring local cultural attractions in Turkey. The program, now in its ninth year, was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and supported by the American Councils for International Education and Future Stars.
During the welcome home celebration, the students (ages 15-17) shared their experiences, demonstrated what they learned at camp, and practiced their new English skills with the Americans at the U.S. Embassy. U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Raynor encouraged the students to use the English skills and cross-cultural understanding that they developed at camp, saying, “These are special and valuable skills you can use to get scholarships, find interesting jobs, and help in your own way to connect Afghanistan with the rest of the world.”
U.S. Embassy-sponsored exchange programs select the best and brightest future leaders of Afghanistan to receive training and education in an effort to provide needed human capacity in Afghanistan. The Embassy sponsors numerous English language programs, which every year help over 2,000 Afghan youth achieve their goal of becoming an English speaker. More information about U.S. Embassy English language programs and other academic opportunities for Afghans can be found on the U.S. Embassy website.
