Building Bridges Across the World

"A life-changing event."

That's what a family goes through with the birth or adoption of a child. And when that child is cross-cultural it becomes a life-changing cultural event. When that child is only temporarily entrusted to you for care and nurturing, that life-changing cultural event condenses all the joys and challenges of family life into an abbreviated time frame.

Parenting an exchange student-whether a few weeks to a year-long "home-stay"--brings the whole spectrum of parenting and its emotions into a moment in time that most families will tell you they "wouldn't change for anything." And an added benefit is that not only have they "adopted" the child or children-because many families repeat the experience again and again-but that they have "adopted" a whole new family somewhere across the world.

Today, we live in a world community. We are connected by communication, economics, transportation and common beliefs. The realization that the world comes into our living rooms everyday, makes it critical for us to think beyond our national boundaries and reach out to understand our world neighbors. One way to learn about the people from other cultures is to live, work and play side-by-side as family members.

Colorado State University Extension's 4-H International Programs offer young people and families opportunities to participate in exchange experiences. Families who host an international youth gain a chance to share their culture with someone from a different country and see their own community through the eyes of a foreign friend. Both the visiting youth who spends time with an American family, and the American youth who lives in a different culture-complete their experiences as a family member instead of a tourist.

One of the 4-H International Programs that brings the prospect of peace and understanding closer is FLEX--the Future Leaders Exchange. "This nationwide program was created because of former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley's conviction that the best way to ensure long-lasting peace and understanding between the United States and the emerging democracies of the former Soviet Union was to enable young people from the New Independent States to learn about democracy firsthand--by experiencing it," said Courtney Loflin, Extension specialist and 4-H international programs coordinator.

Colorado has four such young visitors this year, she said. One is 17-year-old Anuar Kalkamanov, who is spending a year as a new addition to Karol and Gail Claussen's family who's natural family members have grown and moved away from home (see related story page 12). Anuar adopted quickly to his new American life and family as evidenced by his attraction to pizza and steak, his high grades in math and biology, and his new-found role as a defensive corner/tight end on the Ellicott High School football team. He loves to ride horses and is a great-worker around the Claussen ranch near Yoder, Colo. After a visit to the high school, it is not hard to see why this outgoing teenager is well-liked by his American peers, and his teachers agree that he has been a great addition to the community.

"He is a great kid!" said the school counselor. "Send us some more just like him."

The major goal of the FLEX program, which is administered through the U.S. State Department, is democracy-building-exposing teenagers ages 15 to 17 to our democratic society and free market economy. Since the program's inception in 1993, thousands of young citizens from the former Soviet Union have been awarded scholarships to participate in this program.

Anuar, whose family is from Astana, Kazakhstan, joins three other NIS teens who are experiencing family life in Colorado this year-Gor from Armenia is with a family in Chevaw, Anna from the Ukraine is at home in LaVeta, and George from Georgia is living in LaJara. Other FLEX participants around the country are from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Participants are recruited and selected through a merit-based competition that considers academic performance, English language competence and personal qualities in the selection process. Approximately 1 in 30 of the initial applicants are ultimately selected as participants.

When asked about what happens to FLEX students when they return home?, Loflin answered: "After living a year in the U.S., FLEX students change tremendously. Most alumni say they have learned to appreciate their home country more, but it is clear they have learned much about American culture, as well."

Loflin added that alumni of many international exchange programs often say that the most difficult adjustment they have to face is the reverse culture shock they experience when they go home. To ease this adjustment and help FLEX students perpetuate their American experience, the program offers alumni networks throughout the NIS which meet regularly for discussions, American movies and holiday celebrations, speaker nights, career counseling, and community service activities. The alumni associations serve as outlets for these bright, young citizens and give them opportunities to participate in activities that support their movement toward positions of leadership in their own countries.

"Programs like this can break down misconceptions and stereotypes and bring the world closer together," Loflin said. "And these 'adopted' families are never the same again." -Wendy Douglass

For more information, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.

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Uploaded Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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