Future Leaders Exchange
Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX)
After a competitive selection process, high school students from 22 countries spend an exchange year attending American high schools and living with volunteer host families.
Sponsored by the United States Department of State, the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program promotes mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and 22 countries across Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia.
Every FLEX exchange student lives with a volunteer host family for one academic year to learn about American values, attend a US high school, and teach Americans about their home countries. Participants return home galvanized and inspired to share their new experiences and positively impact their home countries and communities.
FLEX was established in 1992 as the centerpiece of the Eurasian Secondary School Initiative under the FREEDOM Support Act. Former US Senator Bill Bradley asserted that the best way to ensure long-lasting peace and understanding between the US and Eurasian countries is to enable young people to learn about the United States and Americans firsthand.
What does the scholarship provide?
Round-trip domestic and international travel (from home to the United States and back)
Monthly allowance to help students participate in social activities and buy necessary personal supplies
Placement with a selected and screened American host family for one year
Enrollment in a US secondary school
Program orientation activities including pre-program preparation and re-entry preparation
Program activities arranged in local communities throughout the US
Medical insurance, excluding pre-existing conditions and dental care
What is not covered by the scholarship?
Any costs associated with receiving a passport
Personal expenses not covered by the monthly stipend
Excess baggage costs, phone bills, or internet use
Who is eligible to apply to the program in the Czech Republic?
Czech citizens who meet age limit published at the time of application
Students in the first or second grade of secondary school (or an equivalent grade at a multi-year high school)
Students whose academic standing is good or better and who can demonstrate English language ability
Who is not eligible?
Students who have stayed in the United States for more than 90 days in total during the last five years
Students who applied or are applying to emigrate to the US
Students with disabilities are invited to participate in the competition and are allowed to apply in the third grade as well. FLEX finalists include approximately 20 students with disabilities each year.
How does the selection process work?
Students compete in several rounds of competition. At the semi-finalists’ stage, students and their parents are invited to attend an informational meeting to learn more about the program. Students then take part in an individual interview with American Councils staff, write three proctored essays, and receive a detailed program application.
Selection will be based on merit and demonstrated preparedness for a year-long exchange experience as evidenced in students’ comprehensive applications. English-language proficiency is important, but it is not the sole element in selection. Students also will be required to provide medical evaluations and be certified as medically fit to participate in the program.
The selection process is completed in the spring, and all applicants receive notification of their status by mid-May. Selected finalists will attend a pre-departure orientation in June-July and travel to the US in July-August. Students return home the following May-June.
FLEX students must return to their home country at the end of the program, on the date assigned by American Councils. The US visa issued for program participants will not be amended or extended beyond the program end date for any reason.
How will I benefit from the exchange experience?
The FLEX program offers students an opportunity to learn about the people and culture of the United States. FLEX participants are also young ambassadors who teach Americans about the people and culture of their countries.
Students gain an appreciation for and develop sensitivity to other cultures, experience personal growth and independence, and become better prepared for an increasingly interdependent world. Students form strong ties with their American host families and US communities, building relationships that often last a lifetime.
What should I consider before applying to FLEX in Czechia?
Although students attend a US high school, the curriculum might be substantially different from that in the Czech Republic. Participants will likely not learn the same subject material. Applicants need to find out whether they would have to repeat a year of school or complete exams after returning home.
Program Information
Application and Deadline
Online application for the 2025–26 academic year is no longer available; the deadline for Czech applicants was on September 26
Funded by
US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Program Funding
Fully funded
Eligibility
Secondary school students who meet program criteria
Website
Future Leaders Exchange