• NSLI for Youth

    The US Department of State through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students to learn less commonly taught languages in summer, semester, and academic year international immersion programs. NSLI-Y encourages beginning, intermediate, and advanced language learners with a passion for learning languages, communicating across cultures, and living abroad to apply.

    National Security Language Initiative

    NSLI -Y is part of a broader government-wide presidential initiative that prepares American citizens to be leaders in a global world. Now more than ever, it is important that Americans have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to promote international dialogues, support American engagement abroad, and attain better understanding of global cultures and issues. NSLI encourages a lifetime of language study and cultural understanding by supporting K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and professional language programs for languages that have traditionally not been taught in the United States.

    NSLI-Y Programs offer:

    • Scholarships to learn Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish
    • Unique language immersion programs in China, Egypt, India, Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, and other countries around the world
    • Alumni networks to continue language and cultural learning
    • Springboards to other government sponsored programs to achieve language fluency
     Requirements:
    • US Citizen
    • 15 - 18 years of age at the start of your NSLI-Y program
    • Currently enrolled in high school at time of application
    • 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale

    Previous language study is not a requirement and all levels of language ability are encouraged to apply.

    NSLI-Y Participants will:

    • Begin a lifetime of learning and working with global peoples and cultures
    • Participate in language classes, cultural immersion, and community service projects
    • Interact with host country friends, families, and communities, in person and through online technologies
    • Gain a deeper understanding of their responsibility in an interconnected world
    • Continue language study and share cultural awareness and understanding when they return home
    • Promote international dialogues and the study of international languages in their home community

     
Last Modified on October 14, 2009