The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year overseas immersion programs. NSLI-Y India is located in Pune and the target language of study is HIndi. This summer (2015), 14 students have come from all over the United States to Pune, and embark on a 7 week adventure into language learning and cultural immersion. The program’s oversight is run through iEARN, (International Education and Resource Network) http://www.iearn.org/, and is the world’s largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world.
As the Resident Director of this summer’s program and a longtime visitor to India, I believe in the power of experiential learning and global citizenship training for youth. I hope that programs like NSLI-Y inspire our students to travel and collaborate with their neighbors for years to come.
-Lauren Lauter
