It has been more than 3 years since AUCA and Spirit of America began collaborating to support Afghan students studying at AUCA through the Afghan Future Campaign. Through the support of Spirit of America, students have had the opportunity to explore their own initiatives while resources were provided to ensure success in the classroom. More than 15 student clubs have conducted activities focused on hiking, photography, swimming, bike riding, driver education, horseback riding, and football. Career development seminars and outings were organized to assist students in landing internships and pursuing employment opportunities. Additional language classes for Kyrgyz and Russian were held to help students better assimilate into the daily life of Bishkek and make new friendships with peers their age. A cultural exchange has even been organized between AUCA and a local university to allow for the sharing of Kyrgyz and Afghan traditions and customs. Hundreds of Afghan students have benefited from the collaboration, which has ultimately enriched their experience at AUCA and in Kyrgyzstan. AUCA is incredibly grateful to Spirit of America team members Alex Ebsary, Senior Regional Program Manager, and Associate Program Manager Haddie Beckham for all their work! Thank you! 

 

In tribute to the collaboration between AUCA and Spirit of America, we wanted to share a video created by Samat Durusbekov, a member of the AUCA PR team, that highlights a recent Yoga in Nature seminar held at the Kara Bulak Eco Resort. During the seminar, members of the AUCA Counseling Services helped students to reflect on the end of the academic year and learn new techniques, through yoga, to help deal with stress and burnout. This is just one example of what we have been able to accomplish with our partner Spirit of America.