@statedept Public Schedule – June 21, 2022 PUBLIC SCHEDULE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON JUNE 21, 2022 Share ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN Secretary Blinken attends Chief of Mission Conference events throughout the day at the Department of State. 10:30 a.m. Secretary Blinken hosts the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Welcome Home Event at the Department of State. Please click here for more information.
(POOLED PRESS COVERAGE) Remarks will be live-streamed on www.state.gov and www.youtube.com/statedept . DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE WENDY R. SHERMAN Deputy Secretary Sherman attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES BRIAN P. MCKEON Deputy Secretary McKeon attends Chief of Mission Conference events throughout the day at the Department of State. UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS VICTORIA J. NULAND Under Secretary Nuland attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS LEE SATTERFIELD 10:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Satterfield joins Secretary Blinken at the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Welcome Home Event at the Department of State. #csadosdexcerpt - CBYX is an immersive exchange program jointly offered by the U.S. and German governments. It offers opportunities to study or work abroad for high school students, recent high school graduates with a vocational interest, and young professionals.  CBYX provides a crucial thread in the people-to-people ties between the United States and Germany. The remarks will be available via livestream on www.state.gov and at www.youtube.com/statedept. Please submit any media inquiries via the web form located on the ‘Information for Journalists’ page on [www.state.gov]www.state.gov.
(POOLED PRESS COVERAGE) BRIEFING SCHEDULE 2:00 p.m. Department Press Briefing with Spokesperson Ned Price.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE) The Department Press Briefing will be live-streamed on www.state.gov and www.youtube.com/statedept . https://www.instagram.com/p/CfDqUNsOg5W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

HOLY SMOKES GUYS I JUST GOT ACCEPTED TO CBYX

This last weekend absolutely broke my heart. Due to the increase of Corona in Europe, I had to leave my exchange year nearly four months early. 

This is an experience I know I will never get back, and I am so disappointed in myself for not making the most of my time, as well as my organization for allowing this. Though I know there was nothing that could have been done differently, my heart is heavy when I realize that I won’t see sunrises on the Rhine anymore. My days of stopping at the bakery by my school or grabbing a drink with friends are done for now. I can’t walk down a quiet little street in Mainz or get caught in the rain in the vineyards. I will have to put up my cheer shoes and give my host family’s dog one last walk by the cemetery.

Despite this loss, I am so grateful to have met the people I have met and to have seen what I’ve seen. I’ve learned so much about myself and the world around me while in Germany, and I just pray that these doors will be opened again to me one day. 

For now, I will reflect on my time. My chapter abroad may be ended, but a new one is being written for me. I will move on with the memories of my second home, and I can’t wait to see where that will take me. My heavy heart will lighten soon, and with that, I’ll truly grow from my experiences.

long time, no post

so i’ve neglected this account but there’s still a lot of people active here which is cool! i’m sorry i left you all hanging around. i kinda quit using tumblr for several months.

i won a scholarship last year from the u.s. dept of state that gave me the opportunity to graduate early and spend my senior year in germany. so i live in de 🇩🇪 now, until june 2020 anyway, and i’m learning german 100% immersively. i’ve been here two months so far and it’s going great! my german is so so so much better now than five weeks ago when i arrived to my host family, and i can exist here without feeling uncomfortable speaking (most of the time). obviously i have bad days too where i feel completely overwhelmed by being here, but overall it’s an amazing experience and i love it here.

yeah i don’t know. i probably will continue to not use this account very much because i try to limit my english exposure usually, and if i do use it then it will be about my exchange or german learning!!

if you want to learn more about the scholarship i have, called CBYX, then you can click here to learn more! applications for the 2020-2021 program year are now open :)

Morocco!!

Wow it’s been a while since I posted on this blog! It’s not that I haven’t thought about it. I just always freeze up when it comes to actually writing something. It’s hard for me to convey my emotions genuinely in writing, so rather than working through it, I just avoid writing. :///

Anyway, my host sister and I just got back from a trip to Morocco! The things I had read online about Morocco made me somewhat nervous, but I found them to be vastly exaggerated, and I had a great time there. We started off in Fez, where the streets are bustling with life. We eventually came upon a square where a trampoline had been set up for children to play. I will say that it’s hard to navigate Fez without internet or maps. It’s especially hard in the medina, where I think would have been very frustrating had we been travelling with many bags or a suitcase, but we were luckily using a backpack.

Other than warnings of getting lost, I also read online that, as tourists, one should never ask for directions because people will lead you the wrong way and ask for money. I don’t think this is completely true. Every time Lotta and I took the initiative to ask for directions in Fez, the people were very helpful, but whenever someone approached us trying to give directions, the results mostly mirrored what we had read online. When one man started leading us somewhere, Lotta said, “You know we aren’t going to pay you, right?” so the guy stormed off, but he was the worst of it. Most people just walked up to us asking where we wanted to go, and we replied saying that we would figure it out ourselves, solving the issue. I also noticed that once we ditched our luggage at the hostel, we were less bombarded by “guides”. Also, the longer we stayed (and thus the more we knew where to go), the fewer people tried to direct us.

As far as the comments I read about the streets being dirty, I completely disagree. Many streets there felt cleaner than those in New York City!

On our first day in Fez, we met another German who is doing a language course in Rabat but was just in Fez for the weekend. She convinced us to take a few days of our vacation to visit Rabat as well. I can’t be happier that we did! Rabat is the capital city of Morocco and is on the coast, so we were able to get in a little beach time! Rabat wass even less touristy than Fez, and we were completely unbothered by shop-owners and so-called guides there.

Even though I could not deeply communicate with many of the people there, I was able to get by on English, and I had many kind interactions with people. For instance, there was one girl (I think she was about 8) who approached me on the beach one day. She did not speak much English, but after a while of Lotta and I playing around with her, she introduced us to her mother who did speak English. We spent the rest of the afternoon with this girl, playing soccer, collecting shells, and playing in the water. As she and her mother were leaving, her mother gave us her address and phone number in case we’re ever in Rabat again and looking for a place to stay!

I’m just so glad I had the opportunity to visit the country and am hopeful I will be back again!

it’s been such a good day for me!!!! i got to see my gf and make cookies with her and it was nice

and then later i found out im a semi finalist for the cbyx program!!!!!!!!!

i am bursting w happy long story short

If you’re a high school student and United States citizen with an interest in foreign languages (or you know someone who fits that description), definitely take the time to look into the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)! (If you’re a US citizen with an interest in foreign language but you’re an undergrad or graduate student, check out CLS instead!) NSLI-Y is a State Department-sponsored scholarship program that sends high school students abroad for a summer or academic year to study a critical-need language. It is FULLY FUNDED, which means the scholarship covers all tuition, travel expenses, visa fees, accommodations, and even medical insurance. The languages offered for NSLI-Y’s 2019-20 programs are as follows:

Arabic (summer and academic year offered)

Chinese - Mandarin (summer and academic year offered)

Hindi (summer and academic year offered)

Indonesian (summer only)

Korean (summer and academic year offered)

Persian - Tajiki (summer only)

Russian (summer and academic year offered)

Turkish (summer only)

(If you’re a student of German, you might consider CBYX.)

NSLI-Y students participate in intensive language classes, as well as cultural classes/activities and excursions. They may live with host families, in dorms, or a combination of both. Participants are sent as part of a group of other accepted students to one of a number of pre-determined host locations, so NSLI-Y is also an amazing opportunity to meet peers from around the country who share your passion for languages! NO PREVIOUS LANGUAGE OR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED! Applications opened today (August 22, 2018) and are due October 30, 2018 in order to be considered for the 2019 summer or 2019-20 academic year programs.

As an alumna of NSLI-Y’s Chinese summer program, I’m more than happy to try and answer any questions you might have! (You can send your questions to either of my blogs: @adventuresofyifen or @zhongwenstudieren.) You can also head over to my Wordpress blog for a compilation of past NSLI-Y blogs from all languages to get an idea of past program locations and participants’ experiences!

Concept Playlist

You’re sitting in a plane, alone, more than a thousand miles from home. Outside, it’s dark and cloudy, you can see the city lights shining bright through the fog and clouds, small drops of rain tap your window in a slow soothing pattern. As you stare into the great unknown you realize you are traveling to a new stage in your life, a chance to start over and leave the past; a bittersweet goodbye to memories left behind.

https://open.spotify.com/user/charlottecarter2815/playlist/1bRVYMO0MN4EwEs77YUFDj?si=KrW_yd3JQyqOQsvfFAOTng

Apply for CBYX!

For those of you who have not heard of CBYX, it is an exchange program between Germany and the United States that is sponsored by the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag. For one year, youth age 15-18 live with a host family and attend German high school. Going the other way, German high school students do the same here in the U.S. Best part is that CBYX is a full scholarship! Sound intriguing? We hope so. We bring this scholarship up now as the deadline for applications looms in the distance--December 1st. In order to arrange the details and finish the app in time, now is the time for action if you want to throw your hat in the ring for this prestigious scholarship.

To help you conceptualize the before, during, and after of being a CBYXer, we asked our social media expert Claire, who completed her year in 2010, to talk with us about her experience.

What made you initially apply to CBYX?

I applied to CBYX for a few reasons. My uncle moved to Germany many decades ago, and I’d grown up hearing this mysterious language being spoken by him and my cousins when they visited. My brother and I would sit with our German-to-English dictionary trying to pick up what was being discussed. That interest combined with a natural sense of adventure led me to favoring the more untraditional path of doing a year abroad in high school and wanting to do it in Germany. Unfortunately, being an exchange student in high school isn’t as common in the U.S. (yet), so winning a full scholarship helped convince my parents and school to support it.

How did you arrange the year abroad with your school?

Arranging a year abroad in high school is difficult if your school hasn’t had a student do it before you. I was the first at my school, and so I had a meeting with my guidance counselor as soon as I could to discuss my options. I suggest bringing materials with you about the prestige of the program, and emphasizing your flexibility. For example, I took online courses for English and History before I left for the year as they wouldn’t be comparable in Germany. I also took the SAT’s abroad as to be on track for applying to college when I returned. Basically, I’d speak in statements with your school about how you will arrange the year rather than coming with questions--as it opens up the door for them saying it isn’t possible or that you would need to repeat a year.

Was it difficult to learn German? Did you speak it before you left?

I hadn’t traveled outside of the U.S. before CBYX, so for me it was shocking to get off the train in Berlin and suddenly everything was in German--signs, announcements, labels. I had two years of middle school/high school German at my disposal which gave me limited vocab to work with. At first, I prioritized what I said because it often required running into a word I didn’t know, which was exhausting. But word by word and day by day my German improved. I was very motivated to learn because with each word I learned my daily life became a little easier and I got to show my true colors a little more. It is a humbling experience to have to lean on people a little more for help speaking or to learn the words for things, but it’s all part of the growing pains of learning a new language and tons of people have done it before you so there is no shame in it.

What was living with a host family like?

I lived with a family in a residential part of Berlin. At home in Pennsylvania, I had a single parent, was the only girl, and was the youngest of four. In Berlin, I was the middle child and had two sisters. The family welcomed me as one of their own, and despite my preconceived notion of all Germans being tall and blonde, I found myself blending in in a family of short brown-haired females. My first day with the family, my host sisters and I played dress up-- giggling as we threw leopard print bras over our shirts and wore big clown-like glasses. I knew then that I’d found myself in the right home.

At the same time, it isn’t all easy--nor is your normal family. Living in someone else’s home requires some flexibility to their set routine, and communicating why you do what you do--which your mom doesn’t have to ask because she has seen you since you were born-- but your host family has not.

What were the biggest cultural differences you experienced?

As cliche as it is, I was shocked by how blunt Germans were. I was used to a lot of sugar coating and it took a while to appreciate how Germans communicate. I also had to get used to the independence given to people my age, as there was a lot more hand-holding and rules back in the states. In Germany, I was treated mostly like an adult, which was duly awesome and scary as it meant quickly taking on a lot of responsibility. Lastly, using public transport was a big difference from taking a school bus or being picked up in a car by your parents. It put a lot of new pressure on me to know how to get home or remember bus routes and schedules.

How is German school different than American school?

German school was WAY different than an American high school. At least in my school--which was an Oberschule, I ended and started at a different time almost every day, depending on which subjects I had. I had a class of about 20 kids who I had my core classes with and my teachers rotated to us instead of vise versa. Exams made up the majority of my grade rather than homework or participation and exams didn’t include multiple choice but rather short answers and essays. Also, there was no such thing as substitute teachers, rather if a teacher had vacation or was sick, you just didn’t have that class. This said, every school is different, so yours may resemble an American school more.

Is there a “good” year to do it?

I did my CBYX program during my junior year. This is arguably the most tricky year to do it, as colleges are looking closely at your grades and most people take the SAT’s that year. It is definitely possible though and I had no issue graduating or getting into a good college. There are pros to doing CBYX as a gap year between high school and college, in that you don’t have to stress out as much about your grades at your German school and can defer your college acceptance.

Did you get to travel during the year?

I got to travel a lot. Some host families will take you on their family vacations. With other CBYXers living across the country and the abundance of train options, it is easy to visit them too. Additionally, going back to young people being given more independence in Germany, it is not unusual to go with friends to other countries and stay in youth hostels or travel in general without parental supervision.

Have you returned to Germany since?

I have been lucky enough to have returned to Germany several times in the years after my program, and also to have had my host family visit me in Pennsylvania. My host family still refers to “my bedroom” and when I’m back I curl up on the couch eating Erdnussflips with my host sisters and watch German soap operas like no time has passed. There are certainly still things about Germany I don’t understand and words I haven’t learned yet, but CBYX solidified Germany as a second home.

How has having completed CBYX helped you in the years after?

CBYX truly changed my life course, academically and professionally. Seeing an entirely different tax, welfare, and education system in Germany inspired me to study economics in college. I’ve volunteered supporting high school exchange students ever since I returned to the U.S. and have helped choose new generations of CBYXers. Speaking German has connected me with Americans and Germans alike in my city which has been the core source of a lot of my friendships. I also eventually found myself working at the German Embassy, which obviously wouldn’t have been possible without my year living there, the German skills I acquired, and the connections that came out of that. There are people who walk away from CBYX and don’t use their German again or don’t feel the draw to return back to Germany, but if you do choose to keep involved in German relations, CBYX is a very supportive, diverse, and well-connected community.

What advice would you give those applying to or on the program?

The best advice I received was as I was leaving on the airplane. A chaperone told me to “say yes to everything”. This year is a chance to try out a new sport, a new way of talking, a new style, a new way of being--lots of things that wouldn’t be possible or easy back home where everyone knows you. It is a chance to ask questions and expose yourself to new viewpoints. So just say yes. Personally, doing so led me to visiting my first nuclear power plant (I did not know the word for this and said yes anyhow) or to a planetarium show that blasted nothing but Queen (which if you haven’t done before, I highly recommend). I tried cow’s tongue, which is surprisingly delicious on bread, and fell off my bike twice during a community bike tour. I exited my comfort zone more than I stayed in it and came back feeling like I’d lived years within just one. I’d broken outside the bubble of home and gained a new understanding of myself in the process.

If you want more information on applying for CBYX or hosting a student, check it out here: http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/

12/28/2017

Back again! This time I’m going to India on my fourth and final study abroad. We just flew 11 hours from New York City to Abu Dhabi and now we’re waiting for our next flight to Mumbai. I’d never been on a flight that long before, since I’ve only ever been to Europe, so it got pretty boring after I watched my first movie. Now I just can’t wait to go to bed once we get to our hotel in Mumbai.

GAP YEAR

   Strange as it may seem for me to take a gap year after a year of full-time dual enrollment, I’ve planned on taking a year to travel for a while. I’ve been looking into several study abroad scholarships and working holiday visa schemes. So far, these are my options:

- National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)

- Congress- Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)

- Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange (YES Abroad)

- Australian Working Holiday Visa

- New Zealand Working Holiday Visa

- Attempting exchange with the university I’m currently doing dual enrollment with this year?

- Just plain old backpacking around Eastern Europe, Central America, or parts of East Asia and SE Asia.

- A combination of a few of these.

     Please like this if you’re also planning to apply to any of those exchange programs (or just to take a gap year in general) and post about the process on your blog, so I can follow you! And if anyone wants to swap ideas or advice, just shoot me a message!

Pre-Departure Orientation

Yesterday was my last full day in the United States for nearly a year! It was well spent, as I was able to explore some famous areas of Washington, D.C. in addition to attending meetings and information sessions with forty-eight other CBYX-ers from the Northeast.

We had meetings in the morning, and afterward we boarded a bus to go to Capitol Hill, where we each met with the representatives (or their staff members, as they are not in Washington right now) of our Congressional districts. The staff member who I met with was really nice! When I told him about the CBYX program he was really enthusiastic and said that he would be certain to pass the information I gave him along to the representative himself. He had studied abroad in college and thus knew firsthand the benefits of doing so! At the end of the meeting, he even showed me the view he has of the Capitol Building from the balcony of his office. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, though I know now that the offices of U.S. Representatives are open to the public nearly every day, so realistically I could go back.

↑ The Cannon House Office Building, where my representative has his office. I stood on the balcony behind the columns!

After my meeting, I had about one and a half hours to explore the Capitol Hill area while other participants met with their representatives. I chose to take a few pictures from the back side of the Capitol Building, but then I went into the Library of Congress across the street. I have an affinity for libraries, and this one was no exception. The architecture and detail were absolutely stunning, and it was nice being by myself because it didn’t matter how long I stared at a quote engraved on a wall or took pictures of the ceiling from different angles. 

↑ I could’ve spent way more time at the Library, but we had to catch a bus.

After leaving, I walked at a leisurely pace back to Union Station, admiring all that Washington had to offer and coming to terms with the fact that I really was leaving in a little over twenty-four hours. We ate lunch at the station before heading to the German Embassy (Deutsche Botschaft), which is near the Georgetown neighborhood of the city. We had a Q & A session with a German ambassador and two members of the U.S. State Department who help organize the CBYX program and make it possible. I found it very informative, and the German embassy was fascinating—and visiting is definitely not something one can do easily, as it is very high security. After the session concluded, we went back to the hotel, ate dinner, had some more information sessions, and now here I am, writing this! I will definitely write another post soon, possibly even today, but with the time difference I am not sure, as we fly out today!

↑ Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the German Embassy because they took away all of our electronics before we entered! So, I leave you with a picture I took of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. Above the columns, an engraving states: “Equal justice under law”.

Thank you for reading! Tschüss!

ok so i should probably do like an actual introduction

hi! i’m emily! i’m 18, i use they/them pronouns, and i am a finalist for the 2022-2023 congress-bundestag youth exchange (cbyx)!

i applied for the program through ciee (which is the most competitive region haha) and somehow scored one of 50 spots!* i leave august 4 to start my adventure :D

*50 spots for my region (there are 250 spots for the whole country)

a timeline of how it’s been so far:

august 2018: i google “free study abroad programs”, find cbyx, and fall in love <3

fall 2018-spring 2021: my parents don’t want me to apply so i don’t :/

september (?) 2021: the application is open! i’m a high school senior! my parents can’t stop me! i start my application (aka “the man” or “him”)!!

september-december: i work on writing and rewriting my 6 short essays and host family letter, while a chorus of incoherent screaming plays on loop in my head

december 2021 (literally the day the man is due): i finally get him submitted! now for waiting part 1 ew

february 11, 2022: i get the email invite that I’m a semi finalist! this means i get an interview and I’m one step closer to getting the scholarship!

semifinalist-ness also came with me needing to sign a terms and conditions form and a medical form (:

march 9, 2022: interview day!! we did interviews via zoom (thanks, covid /j). my interviewers were an alum of cbyx and a ciee coordinator, and they were super nice!

march 31, 2022: i got accepted!!! they tried to call me but i was at work so i found out via email haha. so now i have lots at paperwork to fill out and such. i leave for pre-departure orientation on august 4!!!

Sunday Reflection

2 | 2 | 2020

This past week has been a whirlwind of new experiences. It has been one week for me with my new host family and Gymnasium, but I have also turned 18, explored the Rhineland Palatinate capital, and have made plans to try out for a new Cheerleading team to occupy my free time. Furthermore, I’m planning on finding a costume for Karneval later this month and trying to go on a day trip to a nearby village here on the Rhine with a fellow exchange student. Though my time here in Germany is quickly speeding through - 11 months rapidly fell down to 4 and 1/2 months. I cannot believe this. - I want to make the most of my time left here by going out, exploring, learning, and discovering all that I can. This year has shown me some of the best and worst parts of me, but this self-discovery and independence is such a blessing in disguise. 

salut tout le monde 👋🏻

i have recently been accepted into the cbyx program and will go on a foreign exchnage program to germany in august of this year!! so basically i need to leanr german hahah, can any of you recommend me some great resources?

thanks!! 😙

Wow

I've never been more upset. I have to decline my scholarship to live in Germany next year. My college won't defer me and I can't reapply because I'll have lost my school scholarships. I can't believe that I won't be living in Germany next year, I'm heartbroken. But someone in the AFS region is gonna get a call saying they've made it. Someone's gonna be as happy as I was 4 days ago. So thats nice.