Throughout January 15-25 Yelena Gareyeva’08, FLEX Alumni Coordinator announced FLEX Eco-Challenge aimed at bringing attention of alumni to ecological problem, encouraging them to lead eco-friendly lifestyle and inspire others to do the same. FLEXers were asked to turn in pictures with description portraying their positive input into conserving and preserving nature. The Challenge was accepted and around 20 alumni residing in Turkmenistan and abroad took an active part in the competition.

Here is one of the great entries by our alumni:

The turned in entries were thoroughly processed and 4 winners were chosen. They were presented with eco-bags and pots containing ground and seeds ready to be planted. Pots and eco-bags had FLEX Alumni logo on them. The series of FLEX alumni challenges carried out by Yelena, such as the Walking Challenge, Diversity Challenge and Eco-Challenge encourage alumni of different years and residing in different regions/countries to get involved into the alumni community more actively.

A Year in America for High School Students!

American Councils for International Education announces the 2022 testing schedule for the U.S. Government-funded FLEX Exchange Program for High School Students. Finalists of the competition will have the opportunity to live with an American family and study in an American high school during the 2023-2024 school year. The FLEX program pays for all travel, housing and living expenses for program participants with all funding generously provided by the Government of the United States of America. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to participate in the competition. More than 300 disabled students have participated in FLEX over the program’s history, including 6 from Turkmenistan.

FLEX testing is open to all high school students who meet the following requirements:

• Born between March 15, 2005 and May 31, 2007; students in the 11th grade who are required to complete military service are ineligible;
• Have not lived in the United States for more than three months in the last five years;
• Speak English well;
• Are currently enrolled in a secondary school, having an academic standing of good or better;
• Are eligible to receive a U.S. visa;
• Are citizens of Turkmenistan.

In order to participate in the competition, please register and fill in the Round 1 Interest Form that will be available on our website from November 16th to December 14, 2022.

If you are unable to access the form, please call American Councils cell phone +993-63-50-20-36.
https://americancouncilstm.org/flex/

Testing schedule 2022:

Please contact American Councils in Ashgabat
for more information:
phone: (+99312) 36-90-16; (+99363) 50-20-36
email: flex.tm@americancouncils.org;
website: https://americancouncilstm.org/flex/

FLEX Appreciation Day 2022 was celebrated on the 7th of October in four regions of Turkmenistan. The event involved around 35 alumni of various years and from different regions to gather at ACCELS (Ashgabat), Turkmenabat American Corner, Mary American Corner and Dashoguz American Corner to celebrate the appreciation of FLEX and of the American host community. The celebration in the capital consisted of opening remarks of the US Ambassador Matthew Klimow and of the American Councils Country Director Carrie Miller, of entertaining part – playing bingo, trivia, taking pictures with specially created FLEX Alumni Appreciation frame and signing of FLEX Appreciation Cards. Moreover, food, drinks and the cake with FLEX Alumni logo were offered to the alumni. Other than giving thanks to the program, it was a great networking event during which alumni bonded even more and built professional and personal connections. Warm feelings of being one FLEX family were shared by everyone. And as it is said by FLEXers “Once FLEX is forever FLEX”!