“On behalf of the United States Government, I congratulate the Russian American Foundation and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy on 15 years of successful partnership. Your collaboration has deepened ties between the U.S. and Russian dance communities and encouraged cross cultural understanding through the arts, despite the challenges in the official bilateral relationship. Your success demonstrates that the Russian and American people can perform, learn, and thrive side-by-side. I wish you many more years of successful collaboration ahead.”
- Honorable John J. Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, 2022
“The Russian American Foundation’s contributions to cultural, educational, and sports programs in the United States and Russia help foster greater understanding between the people. Such programs highlight the things that the American and Russian people have in common.”
- Honorable Michael A. McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, 2012

About the NSLI for YOUTH
The NSLI for YOUTH (NSLI-Y), a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year overseas immersion programs. NSLI-Y prepares youth to be leaders in a global world. Now more than ever, it is important that our young generations have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to promote international dialogue and support American engagement abroad. NSLI-Y aims to provide opportunities to American youth that will spark a lifetime interest in language learning.
RAF’s NSLI-Y programs combine RAF’s mission of promoting a non-partisan bilateral dialogue and the goals of the NSLI for YOUTH program, as relating to Russia:
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To improve the ability of Americans to engage with the people of Russian-speaking countries through shared language
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To empower American youth with advanced linguistic skills and related cultural understanding so that they able to advance international dialogue and compete effectively in the global economy
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To spark a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures among American youth

NSLI for YOUTH programs in Moscow

NSLI-Y
Russian Language & Culture
RAF's NSLI-Y Russian Language & Culture aims to enable high achieving American students to engage in am educational, cultural, and pre-professional experience learning Russian language and immersing in Russian culture during a 6-week merit-based full scholarship program in Moscow.
NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, implemented by the Russian American Foundation in Moscow, Russia in collaboration with local independent entities in Russia and U.S. Program implementation is subject to available funding of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. PROGRAM DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

NSLI-Y Russian Language & Culture
RAF & Bolshoi Way
NSLI-Y Russian Language & Culture RAF & Bolshoi Way provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to acquire Russian language skills, cultural competency and ballet training in renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy during a 6-week program in Moscow.
* Listed programs in the United States are a partnership between New York based Russian American Foundation (“RAF”) and Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy (“Academy”). The Programs are operated by RAF, based on a ballet curriculum designed by the Academy and taught by its ballet teachers. Unless otherwise expressly stated, RAF has no affiliation with other programs operated or sponsored by the Academy in Russia or other parts of the world. The Programs are not formally affiliated with Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet Company. PROGRAM DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
* NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, implemented by the Russian American Foundation in Moscow, Russia in collaboration with local independent entities in Russia and U.S. Program implementation is subject to available funding of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. PROGRAM DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.