Dayton welcomes Bosnia and Herzegovina students for seventh youth leadership exchange

The Dayton City Commission welcomed participants in the seventh Dayton–Bosnia Youth Leadership Program on Tuesday as city staff and local partners introduced 18 visiting students and three teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"For the past four years, I've had the privilege and the fun of being project stateside project manager for YLP," said Miranda Brooks of the city's Human Relations Council, who described long-standing community support for the exchange. Brooks said the program has touched the lives of more than 150 Bosnian students and teachers with support from about 30 local host families.

Bonnie Kling, director of operations at the Entrepreneur Center and program manager for the 2025 cohort, said the visitors will participate in civic-engagement programming, volunteer activities and events tied to the Dayton Peace Accord's 30th anniversary, including a master class at Wright State and a gala on Nov. 15 at the Hope Hotel.

Commissioners gave the visiting students a warm welcome as participants introduced themselves by name and school. Commissioners and staff thanked the Entrepreneur Center, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo and local host families for sustaining the exchange.

The program organizers said the exchange fosters cross-cultural dialogue and long-term people-to-people ties; they asked for continued city-level support for hosting and related events.