This project will increase youth engagement with USG alumni and American peers, improve job skills and understanding of U.S. entrepreneurship models among Kazakh youth, and foster a network of youth leaders with a strong interest in the United States.

Project Audience(s): The primary audience for this project includes young people between the ages of 15 and 17 years old, who were semi-finalists and alternates of FLEX youth exchange program in the 2026-2027 academic year. Youth should include:

●      High school students;

●      First- and second-year college students;

●      Alternates of FLEX program from various regions of Kazakhstan, including from outside of Astana and Almaty.

Applicants should propose a location for the camp. This is essential in fostering a network of young leaders who can drive positive change across the whole country. 

Project Goal:  Support youth leadership and entrepreneurship development, as well as understanding of U.S. excellence, by developing a network of up to 50 promising FLEX exchange program applicants.

●      Objective 1: Equip up to 50 Kazakh youth with improved leadership and career preparation skills, resulting in at least 80% of participants demonstrating a 20% or greater improvement in leadership, job skills, and career preparation skills, as measured through standardized pre- and post-training assessments and observation rubrics aligned with specific skill benchmarks.

●      Objective 2: Develop greater understanding of U.S. business culture and entrepreneurial models (e.g. innovation-driven business planning, social entrepreneurship, startup ecosystems) among youth participants by facilitating interactive camp activities that explore these themes, resulting in at least 80% of participants demonstrating increased knowledge on key aspects of U.S. business culture and entrepreneurship addressed in camp activities (e.g., values, traditions, history), as measured by a pre-and post-camp knowledge assessment. 

●      Objective 3: Increase the ability of youth to develop and implement entrepreneurship ideas according to U.S. business practices, resulting in at least 80% of participants developing and submitting a project proposal, with 50% of the proposals scoring a minimum score of 75, as evaluated by a standardized rubric.

●      Objective 4: Facilitate networking and collaboration between participating youth and USG exchange program alumni, resulting in sustained mentorship between alumni and 10-15% of youth participants continuing three months beyond the camp, tracked through follow up surveys and alumni engagement logs.