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

Age Range: 15-18 years of age at program commencement.
Grade Level: Gap year is not an option; cannot be a high shcool graduate at program commencement.
Host Communities: Students are typically hosted in greater Bamako.
Language: The language of instruction is French. Host families speak French and Bambara.

Study in BAMAKO, MALI with YES Abroad
Landlocked in West Africa, Mali offers a beautiful landscape ranging from plains, plateaus and cliffs in the south and desert in the north. The climate supports a rich biodiversity of fauna and flora, including lions, gazelles antelopes, migratory birds, baobabs, palm trees, karitea. There are two main seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. Mali is also the historic home of many great empires, including the Ghana Empire, the Manden Empire, and the Songhoi. Empire.

Bamako, the city where the students will be residing during their YES Abroad experience,  is the capital of Mali and home to roughly 2 million people. Divided in two by the meandering Niger River, sunny Bamako has been historically and remains an important regional commerce site.  The vibrant city is full of music, color, motorbikes and people trading goods and visiting with one another. Bamako’s main attractions include the National Library of Mali,  the Bamako Regional Museum, the Muso Kunda Museum, Bamako Grand Mosque, the Bamako Botanical Gradens the Point G Hill and the Maison des Artisans craft market.

Your Host Family
During your stay in Bamako, you will live with a host family, where you will form personal relationships with Malians and participate in Malian family life. iEARN staff will carefully screen your host families.  Your host family will speak French and Bambara. In some cases, host families will speak an additional language, such as Peul.  The majority of Malians, 90 percent, are Muslim, so it is highly likely you will be living with a Muslim family. Many host families have sent their children to the US as part of the YES program or welcomed a previous American student into their homes. As a result, the families are hospitable and aware of the intricacies of host family life. iEARN also makes sure host family residences are in a safe and that students have access to transportation. iEARN makes regular student and host family check-ins to ensure that all parties are comfortable with the living situation.

Your High School
Students will take courses at Malian private high schools, where the primary language of instruction will be French. Classes generally begin in the morning and run from 8-12. Following a 2 hour break, they resume from 2-5:30. For many schools, Thursday afternoon is free. The academic year is broken into trimesters, and students will be able to choose from a selection of humanities, science and math course tracks.

Enrichment Activities
You will have the opportunity to participate in a number of enrichment opportunities during your semester in Mali. Examples from previous years include:
•    Language classes (in French and Bambara)
•    A cultural program introducing students to Malian family relationships, food, clothing, schools, transportation, social activities, community service, etc.
•    Meetings with the Public Affairs Office at the US Embassy
•    Day trips to approved locations outside of Bamako
•    Community service activities

Health & Safety
iEARN’s local connections enhance our ability to support students who encounter health, safety, and security issues while they study in Mali. YES Abroad Students in Mali are covered by medical insurance and also by political and security evacuation insurance. Students can access our staff 24 hours per day using an emergency number.  Our staff members are thoroughly trained to deal with incidents ranging from lost or stolen goods to health problems.