WHS Student Selected for U.S. Department of State's NSLI-Y Program
Congratulations to Grace Boyd, a 12th grade scholar from Westlake High School, who will study Chinese (Mandarin) for eight to ten months in Taiwan on a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI‑Y) scholarship. 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), Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, or Turkish.
Grace was one of 540 students selected from thousands of high school applicants across the United States to receive a
NSLI‑Y scholarship. While in Taiwan, Grace will live with a host family, immerse in the local culture and host
community, and engage with local peers to enhance language learning and build mutual understanding.
Launched in 2006 as part of a multi-agency U.S. Government initiative, NSLI‑Y increases the number of young
Americans with the critical language skills necessary to advance international dialogue, promote economic prosperity and
innovation worldwide, and contribute to national security by building understanding across cultures. Many NSLI‑Y
alumni go on to pursue education and careers vital to U.S. national security and credit the program experience with
helping them improve their academic, leadership, and cross-cultural communication skills.
NSLI‑Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS‑USA,
American Cultural Exchange Service, Amideast, iEARN‑USA, Stony Brook University, and the University of Delaware.
Applications for NSLI‑Y programs are available at www.nsliforyouth.org each fall.