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American exchange students to experience authentic Finnish summer
Posted on 07.12.2010
American exchange students to experience authentic Finnish summer
News, 7/9/2010 | Embassy of Finland, Washington
Reposted with permission of Embassy of Finland.
Link to original article here.
Already for the 28th time in a row, 14 teenagers from across the USA travel to Finland for eight weeks to learn about Finnish society and culture as a part of Finland - U.S. Senate Youth Exchange Program. The students spend their summer with Finnish host families, but they also have a unique opportunity to meet Finnish decision makers during their 3-day stay in Helsinki.
- Ambassador Pekka Lintu tells students about Finland.
- Photo: Markku Saksa.
Orientation at the Embassy and reception at the Residence
- Students gathered at the
- Embassy to learn about Finland.
An enthusiastic group of teenagers gathered at the Finnish Embassy on June 29th to learn about Finland before actually travelling there. The Embassy orientation was part of their 3-day crash course on Finland, organized in Washington DC by Youth For Understanding (YFU).
“What kind of festivals are there in Finland during summer?” “How do I pronounce the Finnish names of my host siblings?” The students had a chance to ask everything they wanted to know about the Northern country in between short briefings ranging from Finnish history and culture to Finnish humor, customs and manners.
- Hana Arch tells about Finnish language.
The afternoon at the E
mbassy was followed by a reception, hosted by the Ambassador Pekka Lintu and his wife Mrs. Laurel Colless at the Ambassador’s residence. After the Ambassador had welcomed the students, YFU staff members and YFU volunteers, two of the students gave their own speeches - Azza Cohen from Ohio in English and Hana Arch from Florida in fluent Finnish!
The following day, before leaving for Finland, the students gave presentations about what they had learned about Finnish society so far at the YFU headquarters. Students impressed the audience with their detailed knowledge about Finland, ranging from Finland’s energy policy to lyrics of traditional folk songs. In a very short amount of time, these youngsters had really become experts on Finland.
Exiting program in Finland
- Azza Cohen knows that Santa lives in Finland.
After arriving in Finland, the local Youth for Understanding presents the students with an orientation in the city of Turku to further their preparation for living with a host family and enhance their understanding of Finland’s unique and vibrant culture.
At the end of their 2-month stay in Finland, the students will have a unique opportunity to visit the Finnish parliament and hear welcoming addresses by members of parliament and various representatives of government ministries, such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The students will also visit Finnish companies such as Marimekko, and learn about Finnish culture at various museums. All in all, it is going to be a summer these students will remember the rest of their lives.
The Finland - U.S. Senate Youth Exchange Program
The Finland - U.S. Senate Youth Exchange Program has successfully furthered relations between the two countries for 28 years. Each year, a group of American students spend their summer in Finland. The students are chosen to the program based on their applications that include an essay on Finland. The FUSYE program is administered by Youth For Understanding, a non-profit organization specialized in student exchange.
The FUSYE scholarship has afforded a positive and life-changing impact for its alumni: some of the educational and career choices that the alumni have made and the insights and knowledge they have gained, not only about Finland, but also about themselves and their perspective on the rest of the world in general, can be regarded as the outcome of the program.
Ambassador Lintu, his family and the students at the residence.
Original article written and published by the Embassy of Finland.
To learn more about this prestigious scholarship and how to apply for 2011 click here.
