Countries

If you are a secondary school student in Egypt interested in applying for the YES Program, please click here for more information.

Age Range: 15-17 years of age at program commencement.
Grade Level: Gap year is not an option; cannot be a high school graduate at program commencement.
Host Communities: Students are typically hosted in the greater Cairo area.
Language: The language of instruction is English and Arabic.

Host Family
Students will live with host families in order to experience a true immersion into Egyptian culture. Families are selected based on recommendations from members of the local community, and each is carefully screened by AFS staff and volunteers. Many families hold a position of influence within their community, and all are highly regarded by their relatives and neighbors. Hosting communities exist through the presence of a strong volunteer support network, with a local volunteer, or “liaison,” available to each student hosted in the community.
 
Support Structure
Students are supported through a strong network of AFS staff and volunteers both in the United States and in-country in Egypt. Within the larger volunteer community, each student will have a local volunteer, or “liaison,” assigned to him or her, who is often either an alum of the YES program, a past host parent or a teacher at the student’s school. Each student will be given a cell phone after arriving, and will have the contact number for the AFS-Egypt office. In the case of emergency, a Duty Officer is on-call 24/7 in both Egypt and the U.S., and this number is made available to both students on-program as well as their parents.

Cultural Activities
Numerous cultural enrichment and community service activities will be available to students through the local volunteer and YES alumni network in the host community. All activities include an aspect of language learning, and incorporate opportunities to learn about the given area through first-hand exploration. Whether visiting the pyramids in Giza, or working with local school children, YES Abroad students will have an opportunity to learn about the dynamic, changing environment in Egypt through engaging with people from many parts of the country.
 
School Life
Students attend class from Sunday to Thursday in Egypt. Like many countries in the region, students remain in the same class all day, with teachers who rotate, creating a very close-knit group of classmates. Each day starts with a short assembly and salute to the flag. In addition to classes at the local high school, YES Abroad students will receive 40 hours of Arabic language tutoring, either through an institute or private lessons. These lessons will focus on colloquial, or spoken, Arabic.