This month, Fulbright ETA Darby Jones at SMA 2 Sangatta Utara has been focusing her energy on helping her students complete their applications for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. The YES program is funded by the US State Department and run by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. It allows high school students from countries with large Muslim populations to study at a US high school for an academic year as they live with a host family. After meeting a few Indonesian students who are alumni of the program and learning more about the process, Darby felt this would be an amazing opportunity for her students. Interest in the program and excitement about the opportunity has been extremely high at SMA 2.

Darby kicked off the month of March by hosting an information meeting for all interested students. To drum up interest, she and her counterpart visited each 10^th-grade class the day of the meeting to give a brief explanation of the program and invite students to attend. Since the original information session, Darby has started a WhatsApp group where students can ask questions and discuss the application. Currently, she is working with students on revising their application essays and will write recommendation letters for students who have requested this assistance. She is hopeful that this support will help students from SMA 2 participate in this incredible exchange opportunity.

Darby Jones is currently teaching at SMAN 2 Sangatta Utara, East Kalimantan