National Security Language Initiative for Youth program

July 2, 2021

At the beginning of this year, we received approval from the American Councils on our grant proposal on participating in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program as a host institution. This is our first time hosting the language school for American high school students and we are grateful for this opportunity and beautiful experience provided by the US State Department and American Councils.   

The cooperation between the institutions became possible due to the efforts of the Development office. Together with the Development office team - Tursunkulova, the Key Program Supervisor, Asel Umetalieva, the Program Director, Ulukbek Visid uulu, the Cultural Program Manager, and Nazgul Koilubaeva, the Administrative Coordinator - we built an engaging and academically challenging language program with cultural elements. Besides the regular academic classes, the students will have a chance to virtually visit a national museum, talk to a professional player of the national game Kok Boru, cook a dish from national cuisine, and learn a national dance. We made sure that the program is appealing and interesting enough for students to enjoy their studies.   

NSLI-Y is the summer school program initiated by the US government and organized by the US State Department and American Councils aimed to promote international cooperation by ensuring that Americans have the language skills and cultural knowledge needed to communicate effectively around the world. We are glad to be a part of the program and acknowledge the importance of its goals, which are, among others, to help the students to master the Asia Society’s Four Domains of Global Competence: Investigate the World, Recognize Perspectives, Communicate Ideas, Take Action.  

The summer school has started its work on June 21. For the next six weeks, 10 American high school students will get intensive Russian language training, done by a group of Kyrgyz professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in the field. The students are divided into three groups according to their language skill levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Additionally, the program curriculum includes a cultural program, to help students learn about the history and culture of Kyrgyzstan. The school is held online due to COVID restrictions, but the dedication and commitment from students, organizers, and our team help us achieve the program goals nevertheless.

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