<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Please review the attached info to see if anyone in our blind community is interested or knows anyone who would be interested in hosting this blind exchange student who knows braille, is 17 yrs old and in 10th grade and is from Turkey. There is a bio attached to read about her.<BR><BR>
<P align=center><STRONG><FONT color=#6000bf size=2 face="lucida console, sans-serif">Carol Akers</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<P align=center><STRONG><FONT color=#00bf60 size=2 face="Lucida Console"></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<P align=center><STRONG><FONT color=#00bf60 size=2 face="Lucida Console"><U></U></FONT></STRONG> </DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Thu, 7/14/11, Brian Peterson <I><BPeterson@americancouncils.org></I></B> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: Brian Peterson <BPeterson@americancouncils.org><BR>Subject: Scholarship Exchange Student from Turkey with Low Vision<BR>To: purplecakers@yahoo.com<BR>Date: Thursday, July 14, 2011, 5:13 PM<BR><BR>
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<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Dear Ms. Akers,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I represent<FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> <A href="http://apps.americancouncils.org/acinbound/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>American Councils for International Education</A>, </SPAN></FONT>an international nonprofit organization that administers several merit-based scholarship exchange programs for foreign high school students. This year, one of the students we’ll be working with is a young lady named Batul, from Turkey , who has low vision. Batul will be participating on the <A href="http://www.yesprograms.org/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) Program</A>, a US Government funded scholarship program for students from countries with significant Muslim populations. Each year, the YES program awards a number of scholarships to students with disabilities, Batul being one of these
for the 2011-12 school year.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">American Councils is excited to be working with several students with disabilities this year, though we have been particularly challenged in finding a school and host family in the same area able and ready to welcome Batul to their communities. My hope is that you might be able to suggest avenues we can explore in trying to connect with a school and family in Columbus or elsewhere in Ohio . If you have any advice about who else we can approach and how, or if you have another suggestion, I would welcome any ideas you might have. Currently, Batul is scheduled to arrive to the US in August.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I’ve attached Batul’s profile, so that you can learn a bit more about her. When we find the right school and family for Batul, I believe she’ll have a lot to bring to her host community and is ready to embrace her experience in the US . If you’re interested, <A href="http://apps.americancouncils.org/acinbound/?q=content/blind-exchange-student-sees-clearly" rel=nofollow target=_blank>here</A> is an article about one of our 2010-11 students from Serbia who was also low vision and did very well in Alabama .</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT color=navy size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: navy; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Please feel free to pass on this e-mail and my contact information to anyone you think might be interested in learning more or assisting in some way. I can be reached at 1-866-790-2086, <A href="http://us.mc383.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bpeterson@americancouncils.org" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:bpeterson@americancouncils.org">bpeterson@americancouncils.org</A>, or anyone can visit my department’s website <A href="http://apps.americancouncils.org/acinbound/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>here</A>.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I appreciate your time in reading this and look forward to the opportunity to connect with you further about Batul. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Warm regards,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Brian</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=5 face="Vladimir Script"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Vladimir Script'; FONT-SIZE: 18pt">Brian Peterson</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Program Officer - Secondary School Programs</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">American Councils for International Education</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">1828 L Street NW, Suite 1200</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Washington</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, DC 20036</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Tel: 866-790-2086 or 202-833-7522</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Fax: 202-833-7523</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Emergency: 800-621-9559</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://us.mc383.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bpeterson@americancouncils.org" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:bpeterson@americancouncils.org"><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">bpeterson@americancouncils.org</SPAN></FONT></A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://www.americancouncils.org/" rel=nofollow target=_blank><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">www.americancouncils.org</SPAN></FONT></A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><STRONG><B><FONT color=#804000 size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: #804000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">For information on hosting an exchange student: </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><A href="http://apps.americancouncils.org/acinbound" rel=nofollow target=_blank><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">http://apps.americancouncils.org/acinbound</SPAN></FONT></A></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT color=green size=1 face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: green; FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt">Please consider the environment before you print this message.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=yiv1942802473MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table>