Purdue News

April 23, 1999 4-H gearing up for Japanese exchange programs WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- More than 40 families have applied to be hosts to Japanese students for four weeks this summer in the 4-H Japan Exchange Program, but more families are needed to provide a host family for each of the 57 Japanese students. "The deadline for the summer exchange program is May 15, but we will continue to accept applications until each student finds a heart and a home in the state of Indiana," said Mary Ilu Altman, the international programs coordinator for Indiana 4-H. Host families provide food and lodging and welcome the exchange students into their households for four weeks in late July and early August. All the Japanese students have health and accident insurance coverage and will bring their own spending money. The range from 12 to 18 years old; 18 are males, 39 are females. The exchange program, sponsored by Purdue University's School of Agriculture, encourages young people from different cultures to establish close relationships and expand their cultural awareness. Indiana families have been hosts to nearly 1,000 Japanese youths since the exchange program began in 1982. "This year, for the first time, we are going to conduct a statewide host family orientation day on June 12 at Hillenbrand Residence Hall on campus," Altman said. In addition to the summer exchange, seven Japanese youths will participate in a year-long exchange program -- almost twice as many as in the past. The 4-H outbound program, conducted every other year, will give Indiana youths from age 15 to 17 an opportunity to spend four weeks in Japan during the summer of 2000. "This is really an experience beyond just a trip to Japan," Altman said. "Students stay with local Japanese families and experience not only the daily activities of a Japanese household, but also get to see communities and cities from a perspective other than that of a tourist. They really get to function as a member of the local community." The estimated cost for the program is $3,000, to cover round-trip domestic airfare, round-trip airfare from the West Coast to Tokyo, departure tax and medical insurance. A $100 scholarship credit is available to Indiana youths whose families have been summer hosts for a Japanese exchange student, and an $820 scholarship credit is available to youths whose families have been hosts for Japanese students in the year-long exchange program. Applications will be available by Sept. 15, and the deadline is Feb. 16, 2000. For more information on being a host family or participating in the outbound program, call (765) 494-8433 or (888) 398-4636. Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page