Students from the China Institute's 2008 Summer Language Institute practice their Chinese calligraphy.

NSLI-Y 2006 to 2009
NSLI-Y is part of a broader government-wide Presidential initiative announced in January 2006. Since its inception, NSLI-Y has experienced dramatic growth in three areas: 1) number of languages taught, 2) length and number of language programs, and 3) number of participants studying NSLI-Y languages.

From 2006 through 2008, NSLI-Y offered study opportunities in only two languages, Chinese (Mandarin) and Arabic. Approximately 330 American high school students studied the two languages in short-term, overseas summer programs. A typical summer program lasted six to eight weeks and included four to six hours of formal language instruction five days a week.

Summer semester and academic year 2009 programs added another 390 participants to the growing NSLI-Y community. By the end of the 2009-2010 academic year, it is anticipated that there will be nearly 750 NSLI-Y alumni.

In 2009, increased Congressional funding permitted NSLI-Y to expand from two to seven languages. In addition to Chinese (Mandarin) and Arabic, participants also studied Hindi, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Russian, and Turkish. The additional funds provide options for semester and academic year programs in five of the seven languages (excluding Farsi and Hindi which will be offered only in short-term summer programs).

2007 AFS-USA Summer Language Institute in Egypt.

Due to support from Congress, the NSLI-Y program has increased both the number of languages offered and the duration of its overseas programs. In 2006, NSLI-Y was limited to three summer language programs: a China Institute program in Beijing, China; an AFS-USA program in Cairo, Egypt; and a University of Wisconsin – Green Bay program in Amman, Jordan. In 2007 the number of programs increased from three to six, adding a Chicago Public Schools program that placed students in Shanghai, a University of Delaware Governor’s School program in Beijing, China, and the Legacy International Arabic summer language institute in Marrakesh, Morocco. In 2008, the number of language institutes held steady with three Chinese language institutes in China and three Arabic language institutes in the Arabic speaking world.

The overall number of NSLI-Y participants has grown along with the number of summer institutes offered. In its first year NSLI-Y funded only 46 American high school students. In 2007 participant numbers increased to 129 and in 2008 to 153.

The program’s history of growth is testimony to the broad interest American youth have to learn and use these important world languages. NSLI-Y offers an exciting opportunity for all young people who have an interest in languages and a desire to experience other cultures firsthand in a learning environment. We encourage you to be a part of this dynamic history.