1/17/2008 - Join Us In Welcoming Our 2008 YES Malaysian Scholars!
This past January 9-12, a team of AFS staff and volunteers, along with representation from 2 of our 3 YES consortia hosting partners (ACES, AIFS and PAX) welcomed our 40 semester Malaysian students into the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program.
This year we had an opportunity to send Jim Frenchik, a volunteer with the Great Lakes One World Area Team in Indiana, to Malaysia in his new volunteer role of Cultural Support Coach. Jim is and has been a teacher at the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) for over 21 years and brings us expertise within the U.S. deaf community and culture. He took part in a pilot 1 day American Sign Language (ASL) Camp for our 4 deaf Malaysian YES scholars that took place a day prior to the Pre-Departure Orientation.
AFS-Malaysia collaborates with the Malaysia Federation for the Deaf in order to recruit students for the YES Program. AFS staff in Malaysia worked closely with the Malaysia Federation for the Deaf (MFD) in order to develop and plan this ASL Camp. Jim was able to collaborate with them to provide additional input and ideas for this camp and then join them to help facilitate along with YES Deaf Alumni Chai Xiong (hosted by AIFS/AYA in Alabama). As the YES Program strives to engage, recruit and support students with disabilities this is a big step forward and we know the ASL Camp will grow, improve and provide additional preparation in order to better support our deaf participants. Thank you Jim!
Upon arrival to the U.S., chaperoned by Jim as well as AFS-Malaysia Board member Shazalyna Mohammad also an AFS returnee, the group dove into an eventful and lively 3 day long orientation in the Washington, DC area. Highlights include a visit with Alina L. Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Office of Professional and Cultural Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, as well as a session led by Imam Darryl Wainwright and Kimberly King of the Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF) on the topic of Culture and Religion in America. In addition, and with the intention of deepening our understanding of the deaf community, the students enjoyed a tour of Gallaudet University, the first school for the advanced education of the deaf and hard-of-hearing and still the world’s only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. We were also especially pleased to be able to include a special half day session with Mobility International USA (MIUSA) for the 4 deaf Malaysian students and for one YES Ghanaian student with a disability who is locally hosted in the DC area.
Of these 40 YES Malaysian students, 10 are hosted by PAX, 10 are hosted by AYA, 1 is hosted by ACES and the remaining 19 are currently being hosted by AFS-USA all over the United States.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank two AFS volunteers, Diana Ziffer and Veronica Albano Smith, both of the Northern Illinois Area Team, who filled our two “Lead Facilitator” volunteer roles during our January event. Diana and Veronica joined our team and took on key responsibilities throughout the various planning stages, organizing a volunteer conference call and info sessions and will be helping to evaluate and edit the orientation materials for future orientations. Diana also hosted Shazalyna for 5 days in Northern Illinois. Shazalyna had the opportunity to attend a local AFS orientation, AFS pot luck dinner and tour the city of Chicago among other activities.
Please join us in warmly welcoming the YES Malaysians to the U.S.!
Visit www.YESPrograms.org.
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