History
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CB/YX), known in Germany as the Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP), was inaugurated in 1983 through a bilateral agreement between the United States Congress and the German Bundestag. At its outset, the program was part of the President's International Youth Exchange Initiative designed to celebrate the 300th anniversary of German settlements in the U.S.
The program provides full scholarships to 600 selected American and German students (300 from each country). Scholarships for the American students are allocated to each state based on representation in Congress. The U.S. Department of State has chosen five educational student exchange organizations to sponsor the CB/YX Program. AYUSA has been awarded this distinction annually since 1993.
Program Goals
The goal of the CB/YX program is to provide participants with an opportunity to expand their perspectives and awareness of social, economic, and political institutions. The additional outcomes include fluency in a foreign language, personal growth, enhanced social skills, a higher level of maturity, and lasting friendships across cultural and political borders.
Program Components
CB/YX students participate in activities which promote diversity, leadership, community service, and political inquiry. At the end of the program, AYUSA conducts a combined re-entry orientation in Washington, D.C. for German and American participants to evaluate their program experience, meet federally elected officials, and enter their new role as CB/YX alumni.
Related Links
To find out more about the CB/YX program, please visit the following websites:
Applicant Information for Americans
U.S. Department of State, CB/YX Program
You may also contact the CB/YX program manager by emailing cgey@ayusa.org