Merrick Graves was recently awarded a scholarship for an exchange program in Germany.

Merrick Graves will have the opportunity to visit and study in Germany

Nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization CIEE recently announced that Canby’s Merrick Graves, a gap year student from Canby High, is one of 210 American high school students awarded the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The CBYX is a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (Parliament).

As a CBYX scholar, Graves will spend the academic year in Germany living with a host family, attending a German high school, and participating in a language and cultural exchange program to gain a better understanding of German culture, language, and everyday life.

Additionally, there will be the chance to visit the German Bundestag, meet with American and German government officials, participate in intercultural seminars, and explore the country through excursions to nearby cities and historical sites.

Not only do American students go abroad to Germany, but German students also come to live and study in the United States to promote the same level of understanding on both sides of the Atlantic.

Since its inception in 1983, the CBYX program has allowed more than 30,000 participants to expand their intercultural understanding, strengthen their leadership skills, and become global citizens.

For more information about CBYX, visit exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact CIEE at 800-448-9944. German language skills are not required to apply for the scholarship. To learn more about hosting an international high school exchange student coming to the area for the 2025-2026 academic year, visit www.ciee.org/host-families.