The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program encourages long-lasting peace and mutual understanding between the U.S. and countries of Eurasia. FLEX provides opportunities for high school students (ages 15-17) to spend a year in the United States, living with a host family and attending an American high school. The FLEX Program was established in 1992, under the FREEDOM Support Act. and it's still highly regarded in Eurasia countries.

Since 1992, the FLEX program has received an annual allocation from Congress and has been administered by the U.S. Department of State. The State Department awards grants to private, not-for-profit organizations that submit proposals to help run different components of the program. The recruitment and selection process for the program is conducted by the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. American Councils also serves as a liaison between the students and their families in their home countries.

Participants are chosen through a multi-layered, merit-based open recruitment and selection process. The selection is based upon English ability, personality, social skills, academic achievement, and leadership potential. All students undergo extensive orientation to life in America and pursue a full course of study at an American high school. The State Department awards grants for school and host family placement and overall student monitoring to private U.S. organizations, including AFS-USA, Inc., AIFS, ACTR/ACCELS, ASSE International, AYUSA, Center for Cultural Interchange, Council on International Educational Exchanges, States' 4-H International Exchange Programs, Pacific Intercultural Exchange, PAX–Program of Academic Exchange, and World Link, Inc.

Round 1: Pre-Test

Students who meet age and grade requirements are invited to take a 16-question, multiple-choice English test, which is designed to screen applicants for their English language abilities. Every year more than 50,000 students throughout Eurasia take the pre-test, approximately one-third of which move onto the Round

Round 2: Pre-TOEFL/SLEP and Essay Test

Eligible students deciding to continue with the application process are invited to take either the pre-TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test. Students are also asked to write three in-class essays (in English) in response to questions which are designed to display the student's maturity and suitability for international exchange. Essay questions focus on actual situations that students may confront, rather than abstract situations that may be more difficult to address. Both tests are proctored by program staff and alumni.

After all tests and essays are completed, they are sent to the Moscow data hub to be assessed and graded. Field screening committees at the data hub are specially trained to assess essays on the basis of ten factors considered critical for exchange experience success. Processing information and conducting the preliminary evaluation in a centralized location is important for the integrity of the competition and relieves the pressure often placed on the program staff by parents, local ministries, or others to include candidates who might not be qualified.

Round 3: Applications and Interviews

Students with the highest-scored assessments pass to the next level of the competition, where they are asked to submit complete applications and are interviewed. Approximately 15% of the original applicant pool is invited to this level. One American and one Eurasian employee conduct 20-minute interviews in both English and the student’s native language.

In addition to the one-on-one interview, all applicants participate in a group activity, which is conducted in Russian or the local language in groups of four to six and led by Eurasian staff members. This activity provides an opportunity to observe the students in a less formal setting and to assess how they interact with their peers. After students complete their application, they return it to an American Councils field office, where the applications are checked and forwarded to the Moscow data hub. This ensures an open and transparent selection process. The applications are later forwarded to the American Councils' headquarters office in Washington, DC for further processing and selection.

Selection

American Councils organizes and trains approximately 150 volunteer evaluators who meet daily for three months to carefully review the FLEX applications and complete the selection process. At least two evaluators review every FLEX application, and approximately 1,200 finalists are ultimately selected for the FLEX program.