WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of State and Cultural Vistas are pleased to announce that Ella Stephenson is one of 65 Americans selected to study and work in Germany as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals program – now in its 43rd year. The 2026-2027 CBYX Young Professionals cohort departs for Germany on July 29 and returns to the U.S. in June 2027. Participants come from a wide variety of career fields and from all over the U.S. This year about 420 young professionals vied for a spot in this prestigious program.
CBYX is a bilateral exchange program of the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag (Parliament). The program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through non-profit implementing partners such as Cultural Vistas.
While in Germany, Ella will attend a two-month intensive language course, study at a German university and complete an internship. Participants are usually placed with host families throughout Germany, where they act as citizen ambassadors of the United States, promoting a positive image of the U.S. abroad, creating lifelong friendships and professional connections to enhance German-American relations.
While Ella is in Germany, a group of 65 German CBYX participants will spend a year in the United States on a reciprocal exchange. German participants study at U.S. colleges and work at local businesses while living with American host families. If you or someone you know is interested in hosting a German participant, please fill out this form: https://culturalvistas.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Fr1y73z1gFRsq2.
While each exchange year is unique, over the last forty years, the program has positively changed the life trajectories for thousands of American young people. Find out about how the CBYX program builds the skills of American participants in the recently completed independent evaluation at www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-public-diplomacy/bureau-of-educational-and-cultural-affairs.
For more information about CBYX, visit exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact Cultural Vistas at cbyx@culturalvistas.org. Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort will open in September 2026. German language skills are not required to apply for the fellowship. More information about the program, including eligibility requirements, can be found at www.culturalvistas.org/our-programs/internships-fellowships/congress-bundestag-youth-exchange-for-young-professionals-cbyx.
