Capital Club

FLEX and YES students posing at the Wharf at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate.

Participants post for a selfie at the entrance of Washington's Mount Vernon.

On January 19, 30 FLEX and YES students, host family members, and local coordinators met at the American Councils office to engage in a community service activity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Participants enjoyed lunch together and then spent two hours making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Martha’s Table, a local charity organization that feeds the homeless and hungry in the metro D.C. area.

After making over 400 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, participants settled in for a showing of the movie Selma, depicting the march from Selma to Montgomery in support of voting rights. Following the movie, participants engaged in a discussion connecting the themes of the movie to the act of service they performed prior. Participants noted how Dr. King’s call to action depicted in the movie to the responsibility we all have to make our community better.

On November 17, Capital Club hosted the ninth annual Thanksgiving Potluck and International Education Week celebration at American Councils for 50 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) and FLEX Program students,YES Abroad alumni, alumni, host families, and placement organization representatives. Find more updates via , , and

On November 17, Capital Club hosted the ninth annual Thanksgiving Potluck and International Education Week celebration at American Councils for 50 Youth Exchange and Study (YES) and FLEX Program students,YES Abroad alumni, alumni, host families, and placement organization representatives.

Amy Schulz, from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs welcomed participants to the event and showed a video in celebration of International Education Week featuring Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. FLEX and YES exchange students from Georgia, Ukraine, and Indonesia delivered presentations about their home countries and cultures as part of the International Education Week celebration and a student from Armenia played a song on his guitar.

After the presentations, participants socialized while enjoying traditional Thanksgiving dishes and over a dozen international dishes, including: Musakhan, Rendang, and Veraniki. Brief descriptions of the international and Thanksgiving dishes were in provided in a rolling Power Point presentation, which served as a culinary guide. Thank you to all our Capital Club guests for a memorable evening, filled with laughter and knowledge all around.

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Exchange Programs - U.S. Department of State International Exchange Alumni American Councils for International Education FLEX Alumni Georgia FLEX Alumni West Ukraine American Councils for International Education

On October 20, 39 FLEX and YES program students, host family members and U.S.-CAEF alumni attended the first Capital Club meeting of 2018-2019. The participants gathered at the office of the American Councils in Washington, DC for a workshop on Presentation Skills to prepare the students to create and give presentations to their respective schools and communities during the upcoming International Education Week. Capital Club participants then visited one of the nation’s most beloved historic sites, Mount Vernon, which offered a glimpse into 18th century plantation life and a deeper knowledge of President George Washington. Participants watched an introductory film, visited the mansion, its beautiful gardens and grounds, and intriguing museum exhibits, and immersed themselves into programs honoring George Washington’s life and legacy.

Exchange Programs - U.S. Department of State FLEX Program Youth Exchange and Study (YES) American Councils for International Education

Study Visit to Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Seventeen FLEX, and YES students, host family members, and American Councils’ staff traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to visit Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The study visit to Philadelphia concluded the 2017 - 2018 Capital Club program, which focused on teaching participants more about first freedoms and universal rights found in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Participants started the day at Independence Hall, the centerpiece of Independence Mall, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were drafted, debated and adopted. After lunch at Reading Terminal Market, Capital Club members visited the National Constitution Center (NCC), which is also located prominently on Independence Mall. The NCC is the only institution in America established by Congress to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people and international visitors. 😎🤗

March, 2018, Washington DC; 16 YES and FLEX students attended the Social Media for Social Change Workshop and following the workshop, they visited the National Portrait Gallery to view the portraits and identify women who inspired them and post about it for campaign.

Remember that the next event will be held on Saturday, April 14th. Keep an eye out early April for an invitation!

On February 19, 7 FLEX students and 11 YES students ventured to Alexandria, Virginia to take part in a Presidents' Day celebration in George Washington's hometown. They day began with lunch at the American Councils office in Washington, DC. The participants then traveled to Alexandria by metro to watch the George Washington Birthday Parade. Following the parade, Capital Club participants visited the Gadsby's Tavern Museum, a tavern in which George Washington once dined, and the historic Christ Church, where George Washington and his family attended services.