Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
4/20/00
Contacts:
Brenda Allen, 4-H Youth Development, (515) 294-1567,
x1ballen@exnet.iastate.edu
Tracy Petersen, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-9172, tracyp@iastate.edu
International 4-H Youth Exchange Host Families Needed
Families looking for a little international flair this summer without leaving home may want to consider serving as hosts to one of two International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) students.
This year a young man from Switzerland and a young woman from Costa Rica will spend three to six weeks in the homes of two or three Iowa families. They will stay with families in other states beginning in September.
IFYE was founded in 1948 to provide international opportunities for young men and women from around the world, including the United States. Traditionally Iowa plays host to two students each year and sends two students overseas. This year no Iowa youth are participating.
Iowa IFYE host families welcome the young men and women into their homes as members of the family, rather than as guests or visitors. The families are expected to provide room and board, love and understanding, and care and guidance. The students pay for their own incidentals.
"Host families are not required to have children at home, but we encourage families with children to apply because the exposure to another culture is a good learning experience for them," said Brenda Allen, Iowa coordinator for IFYE.
Families interested in serving as hosts should contact their local county extension offices, or Allen at 32 Curtiss Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; (515) 294-1567; x1ballen@exnet.iastate.edu. Applications are due May 15. The students will arrive July 1.
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Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.