Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I am a homeschool student and I would like to study abroad, are there any programs who take homeschoolers?

It isn't exactly an exchange program, but there is the People to People Student Ambassador Program. I did that when I was a bit younger. It was founded over 50 years about by Dweight D. Eisenhower (sorry for the poor spelling) to promote international peace and understanding through the education of the rising generation. You get information by going to their website and requesting an invitation to the next local information meeting (usually in the fall) or someone could reccomend you, or they get your name from lists provided to them by national academic talent searches. You then fill out an application and they will choose up to 40 students from each state (give or take a few) to spend about three or four weeks out of the summer in another country. You go with the other students, and about 3 or 4 Teacher Leaders, and when you get there you will meet with a Delegation Manager native to the country you are visiting who will be your head leader. You experience all sorts of exclusive events... Things like getting involved in government (meeting officials, learning how things work there, sitting in on a meeting, etc), exploring historical sites both natural and manmade, doing a service project (The two years I went we spent a day working on a farm in Ireland--herding sheep, milking cows, working in the bog, feeding the animals, making bread, collecting eggs, etc-- and distributing new school supplies and helping out with the students in a boarding school in Fiji) going to cultural events like plays, private tribal ceremonies (where applicable), museums, parks... I remember visiting castles in England and getting a chance to explore areas not open to the public, participating in a kayleigh(I think that's the right spelling) which is basically an exchange of music, stories, dance, etc among new and old friends in Scottland, panning for gold and gems in Scottland, learning to play a tin whistle in Ireland, going rock climbling, kiyaking, repelling, rafting, and on all sorts of other adventures in Wales and Australia (Note: England, Scottland, Wales, and Ireland all take place in one program.) Then of course there's the home stay where you get to spend a few days away from the rest of the group living with a carefully selected family in the country you're visiting...Usually with at least one child your age whom you will go to school with if it is in session at the time, which it usually is. That's usually the BEST part of the entire trip. Search People to People Student Ambassadors in google and it should take you right to the organizations website. It is a very homeschool friendly program. Definitely check it out.

I am a homeschool student and I would like to study abroad, are there any programs who take homeschoolers?
Well, you don't say where you live. The only exchange programmes I can find are for homeschoolers in Japan or Guatemala. Is either of those you?


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