If you are a secondary school student in Indonesia interested in applying for the YES Program, please click here for more information.
Age Range: 16-18 years of age at program commencement.
Grade Level: Gap year is not recommended.
Host Communities: Students are typically hosted in Jakarta, Medan, or Surabaya.
Language: The language of instruction is Bahasa Indonesia. Students will learn Bahasa Indonesia and local dialects.
Host Family
Students will live with host families in order to experience a true immersion into Indonesian 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 Indonesia. 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-Indonesia office. In the case of emergency, a Duty Officer is on-call 24/7 in both Indonesia and the U.S., and this number is made available to both students on-program as well as their parents.
Cultural Activities
Various extracurricular activities will be offered to students both in and outside of school. Examples of some of the opportunities that will be made available include lessons in traditional Indonesian dance and music, futsal, capoeira, karate, and Pencak Silat, a traditional Indonesian martial art. There will also be a variety of cultural excursions for students to take with local volunteers and Indonesian YES Program alumni.
School Life
Students will likely be placed in public schools and can choose to be in the first or second year, where there is more flexibility in course selection. The language of instruction in schools is Bahasa Indonesia, and students will have the opportunity for extra language lessons either in school or with a private tutor. All Indonesian students wear school uniforms, and unlike American schools, will stay in the same classroom for the day. The average class size is forty students.
YES Abroad Country
YES Country
