For America's high school, college and graduate students, and young professionals, it's always a good idea to take advantage of opportunities that set you apart and provide valuable experience.

If you?re looking to build or broaden your skillset, the U.S. Department of State offers a number of exchange programs, awards and initiatives that aim to enhance the cultural education of American students and the careers of young professionals who will be tomorrow's global leaders. Whether or not you're studying a foreign language, an exchange program can offer the chance to become bi-lingual - a life-changing skill that opens doors to exciting career opportunities.

Deadlines are quickly approaching for many of the 2012 program sessions listed below. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply, today!

High School Students:

Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad (YES Abroad) Program
American high school students on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES Abroad) Program will spend one academic semester or year in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Thailand, and Turkey during the 2012-2013 academic year.
Deadline: January 11, 2012

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX)
The Congress?Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) offers German and American students a fully-funded academic year abroad. Participating students develop critical intercultural skills while learning what it's like to live and attend school in Germany.
Deadline: Deadlines vary. For deadline information, visit USAGermanyScholarship.org.

College & Graduate Students:

Fulbright Canada Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Award
The Fulbright Canada STEM Award offers U.S. students support for three years of doctoral study at one of six leading Canadian research universities in both basic and applied fields of science, engineering and mathematics.
Deadline: November 15, 2011 (for awards that begin in the 2012-2013 academic year)

Critical Language Scholarship Program
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program provides overseas foreign language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences in 13 critical need languages for U.S. students in higher education. Please see the CLS Program's website for application details.
Deadline: November 15, 2011

Professionals:

English Language Specialists
The Department of State?s English Language Specialist Program recruits U.S. academics and professionals in the fields of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) to conduct programs overseas ranging from two weeks to four months.
Deadline: Applications are accepted year round. (Spring/Summer deadline (notified by August 12): May 12; Fall/Winter deadline (notified by February 12): November 12)

Post-Secondary CBYX Programs
The Young Professionals Component is for students between the ages of 18 and 24, who wish to study for a semester and participate in internship programs. For more information, visit CDS International.
Deadline: Deadlines vary. For specific country program deadlines, visit CDS International.


For information on more programs like the ones listed above, visit Benefits.gov and select ?Grants/Scholarships/Fellowships? on our Browse by Category page. You may also want to use our Benefit Finder by clicking "Start Now" on the homepage to check your eligibility for over 1,000 other government benefit programs.