Laura Herrera of Westfield studied Chinese (Mandarin) this summer in Taiwan on a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI‑Y) scholarship.
NSLI‑Y, a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), promotes the study of Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, or Turkish.
Herrera was one of 442 students selected from thousands of high school applicants across the United States to receive a NSLI‑Y scholarship. While in Taiwan, she lived with a host family, was immersed in the local culture and host community, and engaged with local peers to enhance language learning and build mutual understanding.
Launched in 2006 as part of a multi-agency U.S. Government initiative, NSLI‑Y increases the number of young Americans with the language skills necessary to advance international dialogue, promote economic prosperity and innovation worldwide, and contribute to national security by building understanding across cultures. Many NSLI-Y alumni go on to pursue education and careers vital to U.S. national security and credit the program experience with helping them improve their academic, leadership, and cross-cultural communication skills.
NSLI‑Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS‑USA, American Cultural Exchange Service, Amideast, ASE Global Bridges, iEARN‑USA, Stony Brook University, the University of Delaware, and the University of Wisconsin.
Applications for 2024-25 NSLI‑Y programs are available at nsliforyouth.org.