U.S. Amb. Honors 35 Egyptian Students Chosen for Prestigious KL-YES Exchange Program

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt H.E. Herro Mustafa Garg has honored 35 outstanding Egyptian high school students selected to participate in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (KL-YES) Program for the 2025-2026 academic year.

In her remarks at a reception held in Cairo, Ambassador Mustafa Garg praised the students for earning a place in one of the U.S. State Department’s flagship exchange initiatives, which provides full scholarships for Egyptian high school students to spend an academic year in the United States. Participants live with American host families, attend U.S. high schools, and engage in community service and cultural activities aimed at fostering mutual understanding between the two nations.

“Over the past 22 years, hundreds of Egyptian students have traveled to the United States and experienced the best aspects of American life,” she said. “They’ve been warmly welcomed by American host families, enjoyed our music and films, and explored the incredible diversity of American cuisine. Exchange programs like KL-YES are among the many ways we work to strengthen the ties between our countries.”

Since its launch in 2003, nearly 900 Egyptian students have taken part in the KL-YES program, contributing to enduring people-to-people connections between Egypt and the United States.