Kirkwood High School student Alec Gates was a recipient of a National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship, which offered an opportunity to study Arabic this summer in Morocco.
While in Morocco, Gates lived with a host family, was immersed in the local culture and community, and engaged with local peers to enhance language learning.
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.
NSLI‐Y increases the number of young Americans with the critical language skills necessary to contribute to U.S national security and economic competitiveness.