Fifty-seven Indonesian high school students have returned to Jakarta after participating in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program in the United States for the 2024–2025 academic year. The U.S. Department of State funds this exchange initiative, which allows students to act as "youth ambassadors," sharing Indonesian culture and fostering mutual understanding with their host families and communities across the U.S.
The YES program is administered in Indonesia by Bina Antarbudaya–AFS Indonesia, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy Jakarta’s Public Affairs Office. A homecoming event was held on June 9 to welcome back the students.
“The YES program is one of our favorite exchange programs because it allows young Indonesians to meet and study with young Americans and live with American families, in American communities,” stated U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Heather Merritt during the ceremony. “This is the heart of diplomacy. Together, through people-to-people exchanges, we are creating relationships that will last a lifetime.”
Jhon Paul Thommbe, a participant from Ende, East Nusa Tenggara who stayed in Washington state, shared his experience: “From my own perspective and experience, I have grown to become a person who truly is a global citizen. Through living in the United States, I become independent, calm, constructive, thoughtful, and open.”
Students are selected for the program through a competitive merit-based application process representing various provinces such as Aceh, South Sumatera, East Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Papua, and Java. The scholarship provides high school students aged 15-17 an opportunity to spend an academic year in the United States living with host families while attending high school and acquiring leadership skills.
Since its launch in Indonesia in 2003, nearly 2,000 Indonesian students have participated in this exchange program.
For more information on YES program participation details can be accessed online.