Lake Wales High School Student Selected for Youth Exchange Program Scholarship, Will Study in Germany

Ezran Kane, a rising junior at Lake Wales High School, is one of 210 American high school students to be awarded the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year. CBYX is a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament).

The award was announced by the non-profit Council on International Educational Exchange. The CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization.

As a CBYX scholar, Ezran will spend the academic year in Germany living with a host family, attending a German high school, and participating in a language and cultural exchange program to gain a better understanding of German culture, language, and everyday life. Additionally, there will be the chance to visit the German Bundestag, meet with American and German government officials, participate in intercultural seminars, and explore the country through excursions to nearby cities and historical sites.

Each year, on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, CIEE awards 105 CBYX scholarships to high-achieving high school students from 23 states, Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, allowing youth from a wide variety of communities to participate in a full cultural immersion experience.

The CBYX program, which is jointly funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag, was created to foster mutual understanding and strengthen ties between Germany and the U.S. through citizen diplomacy. The program is a true public‐private partnership, leveraging the contributions of host families, educational institutions, and local communities.

Not only do American students go abroad to Germany, but German students also come to live and study in the United States to promote the same level of understanding on both sides of the Atlantic. Since its inception in 1983, the CBYX program has allowed more than 30,000 participants to expand their intercultural understanding, strengthen their leadership skills, and become global citizens. Many go on to study at top colleges and universities, and all participants become part of a global network of U.S. Department of State program alumni.

For more information about CBYX, visit exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact CIEE at 800-448-9944. German language skills are not required to apply for the scholarship. To learn more about hosting an international high school exchange student coming to the Lake Wales, FL area for the 2025-2026 academic year, please visit http://www.ciee.org/host-families.

About ECA

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, professional, and sports exchange programs. ECA exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 350 current or former heads of state and government. More information on their programs can be found at http://exchanges.state.gov.

About CIEE

Since 1947, the nonprofit organization CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange has been bringing the world together, advancing peace by building bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, CIEE has helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that help them develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Since 1997, CIEE has served as an implementing partner to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on several prestigious high school scholarship exchange programs, including CBYX. Learn more at http://www.ciee.org.