Hi, This is Barbara Smith. I work for AYUSA International - a non profit organization that promotes peace & understanding through Youth Exchange. I place about 80 students a year in the Eastern half of Washington State. I am looking for special families for students from more exotic countries. I place a small number of students from the middle east & from the Former Soviet Union. These kids are incredible, motivated, intelligent, wholesome kids ... but a little more challenging to place next to a sporty, blond haired European. I am hoping to find some great host families through the network of former Peace Corp Workers.

Two of the programs I work with are U.S. Government State Department sponsored programs. One is called FLEX - Future Leaders Exchange. The program brings kids from the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union to the states from one school year. These kids compete in english, essay contests to come to the U.S. 56,000 kids entered the initial screening and are whittled down to 1600 scholarship finalists. I take a cluster of 10 of these students and this year place students from Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Kyrgystan.

Another program is called YES - Youth Exchange & Study program. This kids come from the countries of the Middle East and Northern Africa. I currently have a young lady from Lebanon & a young man from Pakistan to place in Richland, WA and a kid from Syria to place in Eastern Washington. This year I will place 3-4 of these students in my region. These kids are very excited to share their culture & country with Americans. The natural parents are very brave to send their child here at such a tense time. The students have been hand-picked & screened very carefully. A total of about 60 of these kids will come to America for the year.

I work very closely with both programs. The kids are really exceptional, motivated young people. They come with their own money and accident/illness insurance. They just need a bed to sleep in, food, and an American family to love. These kids are very family-orientated, motivated young people. The experience of hosting one of these exceptional kids will be adventure for the whole family. I hope that you will pass this on to your former Peace Corp Volunteers in Eastern Washington. Thank you.

Call Barbara Smith Youssef, Regional Director, AYUSA International for more information at 1-888-286-4064.

Check out the website & the students at www.ayusa.org .
Click on "Meet the Students".
Register - enter your name, email & zipcode (no spam, name selling or contacting occurs - it is just so if you ask for more info they have a name & email and to sort the kids geographically).
Use the Search - to look for particular countries.