Sarah Urtz, a student at Littleton High School, has been awarded a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship for 2016-17. Sarah will study Turkish in Turkey for the Summer.

Sarah is one of only approximately 600 competitively selected students from across the United States who will receive a scholarship to study Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, or Turkish overseas this year. While in Turkey, Sarah will receive formal instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.

The NSLI-Y program seeks to increase the number of Americans who can engage with native speakers of critical languages. The goals of the NSLI-Y program include sparking a life-long interest in foreign languages and cultures, and developing a corps of young Americans with the skills necessary to advance international dialogue and cross- cultural opportunities in the private, academic, and government sectors.

NSLI-Y is administered by American Councils for International Education in cooperation with AFS-USA, American Cultural Exchange Service, AMIDEAST, iEARN-USA, Legacy International, Russian American Foundation, Stony Brook University, the University of Delaware, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin.

Congrats, Sarah!