Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX)

FLEX testing in Ukraine for the 2008-2009 academic year has finished. Testing for the 2009-2010 academic year will begin in early September, 2008.

FLEX is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, is administered by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS (American Councils) and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The program provides Ukrainian high school students with an opportunity to study in U.S. high schools and live in American families for one academic year.

Below is a summary of the recruiting and selection process for the FLEX program.

Round One:

This year there were 25 test centers in Ukraine. Recruiters travel to each test center to hold recruiting activities. 9th and 10th form Ukrainian students born from January 1, 1993 through July 15, 1994 are invited to test at the test center most convenient for them. Testing at more than one location, and testing more than once at the same location, is grounds for disqualification from the program. Physically challenged students currently in 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th form and born from March 15, 1991 through July 15, 1994, are also invited to test where convenient, but will be in competition only with each other. To participate in Round One students need to appear at a specific date, time and location that are announced through mailings to Ukrainian schools and through media advertising. Students may also find the schedule on American Councils website or may contact the Kyiv office to inquire about testing in their region. The recruiting process begins in each test center with a general informational presentation and the administering of the Pretest. The Pretest is a short written test of Basic English. Results of Round One in one test center are typically available the same day as the last Pretests are given.

Round Two:

Those candidates who pass the Pretest take a standardized test of English Reading and Listening Comprehension as well as an in-class essay test on three assigned topics. Round Two is typically held the day after Round One and can take place over one-two days.

Round Three:

Within 4-6 weeks after Round Two, recruiters return to conduct Round Three activities with those students selected by an international committee. These activities include a meeting with candidates and one of their parents or guardians. During this meeting, recruiters give more detailed information about the program, including which expenses are covered for the participants. Applications are distributed and each page explained in detail to candidates and their parents or guardians. Candidates have two weeks from the date of the meeting to complete and return their applications to the Kyiv office of American Councils. Following the meeting, candidates write a second in-class essay test on assigned topics. Additionally, recruiters conduct group activities with groups of 5-8 participants, followed by individual interviews in English and the students native language.

Post-Recruiting:

After applications are received from all candidates in a test center, Round Three documents are sent to Washington, DC for the selection committee to review. Results of the FLEX competition 2008-2009 are expected in April 2008. Although there are no available estimates of the number of candidates to be selected in 2008, there were 300 finalists and 36 alternates selected in 2007.

Once results are released, finalists and alternates prepare necessary documents for their U.S. visa and school registration. All finalists are required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation in June or July 2008.

Finalists selected in April 2008 depart for the United States in August 2008 and return to Ukraine in May and June 2009.

For more information contact the American Councils office:

• FLEX-Ukrainian
• FLEX
• TEA
• PiE Summer Institutes