The Youth Leadership through Sport Program (YLS) is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)/Sports Diplomacy Division. This program provides engaging opportunities for male and female youth athletes, coaches, and sports administrators through a series of two-way international exchange programs that harness the power of sport for social change. YLS is designed to foster greater understanding between people of the United States and partnering Eastern European/Central Asian countries by providing youth athletes and their coaches with opportunities to develop practices of leadership, civic engagement, responsibility, teamwork, mentorship, healthy living, and self-discipline in a multicultural setting.
Program exchanges have already been completed between the United States, Kosovo, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Future exchanges are to take place between the United States, Georgia, Uzbekistan, India, a joint country program with Croatia & Serbia, Bosnia, Armenia, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and a joint program with Ukraine & Belarus.
