The program gives Ukrainian schoolchildren the opportunity to study at a school in the United States for one academic year, living with an American family. Below is a list of cities where testing will be held, and a brief description of the program for the 2010-2011 academic year.
First Round
This year, there will be 25 testing centers in Ukraine. The staff conducting the testing will travel to each of these centers. Students in grades 9 and 10, born between January 1, 1994 and July 15, 1995, will be able to take the test at the testing center nearest to them.
Also invited are students with disabilities in grades 8, 9, 10, and 11, born between March 15, 1992 and July 15, 1995. These students are invited to the most convenient testing location for them. The competition for students with disabilities is held separately from the general group; they compete among themselves.
Students receive information about the program through letters to schools and mass media. All those wishing to participate in the competition must come to the testing location at the time and day announced in advance. The testing process at each center begins with a general presentation of the program and the first round of the competition. The first round is a short written test in English. Usually, the results of the first round are known on the day it is held.
List of centers where testing is planned in 2009: Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lutsk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Simferopol, Sumy, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv
Second Round
Participants who advance to the second round will take a standardized English language test that assesses language proficiency. This test consists of a listening and a written section. When answering questions, you must select the correct answer from the options provided. Second round participants will also write three short essays on given topics.
The second round usually takes place 1-2 days after the first round. All materials from the second round are sent to Washington for evaluation by an independent commission.
Third Round
The third round takes place 3-6 weeks after the second round. Employees of the organization «American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS» (American Councils) return to the testing centers to conduct the third round among participants selected by an independent international commission.
Before the third round, a meeting with parents and participants is held. At this meeting, American Councils staff provide more detailed information about the program and explain what expenses the program covers for the participant.
Third round participants receive questionnaires. Each form of this questionnaire is explained in detail to the participants and their parents. Two weeks are given to complete the questionnaires, after which they must be returned to the American Councils office in Kyiv. After the meeting, all third round participants will write two short essays in English. Each participant will have an individual interview in English and their native language, and they will also participate in group work consisting of 5-8 students.
Final Stage
After receiving questionnaires from all participants from each testing center, the third round documents are sent to Washington for review by an independent international commission. Finalists and alternate candidates of the program will be determined in April 2010. At present, the exact number of finalists and alternate candidates to be determined this year is unknown. Last year, 273 finalists and 44 alternate candidates were selected.
After the results are announced, program participants prepare the necessary documents for obtaining a U.S. visa. During June and July, each participant must undergo a pre-departure orientation program, which is usually held in Kyiv.
Finalists selected in April 2010 will depart for the United States in August 2010 and return to Ukraine in May-June 2011.
For additional information, please contact American Councils:
Kyiv, 63 Melnikova Street
tel.: (044) 482-0221, 482-0222, 483-2532
e-mail: [email protected]
www.americancouncilskyiv.org.ua