Update from FSYF President

We at FSYF want you to know what we are doing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

First, FSYF’s annual contests and scholarship programs are proceeding on schedule with the exception of the KidVid Contest, which will be modified for kids to be able to still participate with social distancing. The application deadline will be extended for the KidVid.  Information about the KidVid contest will be coming out this week. 

As for the rest of the contests, application deadlines have passed for our Art Contest and Academic Merit Awards.  Deadlines are approaching for emailing applications for our Community Service Awards (March 25 deadline) and Essay Awards (April 1 deadline).  Judging will be done via email or teleconference, so we anticipate announcing the winners and mailing the prize money on schedule.

Secondly, FSYF’s website (www.fsyf.org) features useful information that teens and parents can access anytime, anywhere.  For example, three recent webinars can be found under the Webinars tab:  Helping Elementary School Children Manage Strong Emotions,   Practicing Gratitude: A Key to Building Resilience, and Supporting a "Good" Goodbye.

Finally,  we have had to cancel our D.C. area spring events (family hike and Earth Day park cleanup).  It is not clear yet whether our annual Youth Awards Ceremony will take place as scheduled at Main State on June 18.  We hope to hold our big late-summer and fall events on schedule:  High School and Middle School Re-entry Seminars (August), Welcome Back Picnic (September), and College Admissions Workshop (October).

As we move forward, FSYF will continue to strive to help our Foreign Service youth embrace the adventure of their global upbringing by encouraging resilience, fostering camaraderie, and celebrating achievements.

Best wishes,

John Naland

FSYF President