Please note that this message is internal and for reference by AFS-USA Volunteers regarding the CBYX NH20 program.
Dear AFS-USA Volunteers,
We hope that you and your loved ones are doing well during this difficult time.
AFS-USA and AFS Germany have been informed that the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag have decided to shorten the 2020-21 CBYX program for both American and German participants.
All implementers of the CBYX high school program have been directed to arrange for student arrivals in the U.S. and Germany in January 2021, rather than in the fall of 2020. While the start of the program will be delayed until January, the end date for the program will not be extended. We are working with AFS Germany to confirm the January travel date for both the American and German students.
AFS staff will be following up with the U.S. host families and schools who have already committed to hosting a NH20 German CBYX student. The American CBYX students selected for the scholarship will also be informed of the revised program timeline.
The State Department shared the following statement, which AFS will share directly with American students selected as Finalists and Alternates:
Please understand that during these unprecedented times, there is a high level of uncertainty in scheduling upcoming activities. This extends to the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) program. At this point, current conditions do not allow for full implementation of the program. Individuals accepting the CBYX scholarship this year should be prepared for maximum flexibility as we work toward determining what the program will entail. Currently, we anticipate that the in-person component of the CBYX program will begin in January 2021. However, there is also a possibility that the program may be cancelled.
The State Department and German Bundestag’s decision regarding the CBYX timeline for the 2020-21 program is independent of and does not have any bearing on the other Sponsored Programs implemented by AFS-USA for NH20 (such as YES Abroad, NSLI-Y, YES Inbound, FLEX, etc.), nor on any flagship (core) programs (such as the non-CBYX German participants).
• For questions about the hosting (inbound) CBYX program for German students, please contact your respective Sponsored Programs Hosting Specialist:
o Emily Turner: eturner@afsusa.org, or 646-751-3317
o Caren Marre: cmarre@afsusa.org, or 646-751-3382
• For questions about the sending (outbound) CBYX program for American students, please contact the AFS CBYX staff at CBYX@afsusa.org or 646-751-2161. This reaches Jon Meyer, CBYX Specialist; Jess Tops, Seasonal Coordinator; and Allen Evans, Manager.
o As you may be aware, the CBYX program for American students is implemented by four organizations, based on the applicant’s home state. AFS-USA and AFS Germany implement the CBYX sending program in CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT. Should you be contacted by American CBYX applicants in other states who don’t know the contact details for their implementing organization, please direct them to the AFS CBYX staff, per the above, and we’ll connect them with their respective implementing organization.
We sincerely thank our volunteers, host families, host schools, and participants for their dedication to the meaningful transatlantic citizen diplomacy fostered by the CBYX program since its inception in 1983, especially during this difficult time!
With our best,
Jon and Allen
Jon Meyer, CBYX Specialist
Allen Evans, Manager, Outbound Sponsored Programs
646-751-2161
cbyx@afsusa.org
AFS-USA
120 Wall Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10005
www.afsusa.org
www.usagermanyscholarship.org