Pictured above: Omer Al-Matri (YES 2011-2012, Yemen, hosted by CIEE in Medford, OR) leading EPM training program

The YES program maintains an extensive network of alumni around the world. YES alumni work hard to carry on the volunteerism, community service, and civic duty they developed during their exchange year. Recently, the YES Alumni in Yemen have been honing these skills even more.

From June 5th to June 15th, eight Yemeni alumni participated in a twenty-hour course on Essentials of Project Managements (EPM). During the course, alumni gained valuable knowledge and real life skills in project management. They were trained in effective initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of projects. The EPM course provided guidance on well-structured project proposals and use of Microsoft Project software. The course concluded with an independent assignment in which the alumni planned and executed a project of their own, carefully tracking a budget, workers, and resources.

After completing the course, the YES alumni divided into teams to brainstorm and present a demo project which implemented the concepts they learned in the course. Armed with these new skills, the YES alumni in Yemen are ready to plan a variety of projects, including community service activities, personal projects, and business/entrepreneurial endeavors.