Youth Exchange Program Plans ‘Mystery Trip’

North American youth ages 16 to 18 have a chance to join with Ugandan young people next year to take a cross-cultural “mystery trip” to an undisclosed location in Africa.

The two groups – one from the developed world, the other from the Third World – will embark together on the service-learning experience in July, 2009. Registration ends April 30, 2008 for teens who are interested in making the trip.

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) – the relief and development arm of the Christian Reformed Church in North America – is sponsoring "The Youth to Youth Exchange Program (Y2Y).

“The program will help teens on both continents better understand poverty and development," says Ruth Majawa, CRWRC-US service learning manager. "They'll learn practical ways to respond to each other and their circumstances that can change the rest of their lives and the lives of the people around them."

Once accepted into the Y2Y Program, approved participants learn their destination, defined at this time only as "on the African continent."

"Mystery is part of what makes the whole experience exciting," Majawa says. "CRWRC has nearly 50 years of relief and development expertise among the least developed countries in the world. We can assure our participants that they will be engaged where ever their location."

Both North American and African participants commit to a year of orientation beginning July, 2008, that will prepare them to appropriately encounter and respond to issues of poverty and development on the field. Then in July, 2009, the groups will join for eight weeks to discover what it means to live, learn and serve cross-culturally.

"Participants spend 12 months in distance learning, basic language skills development, cultural awareness training, fund development to help cover their costs, and in Biblical studies on poverty and development principles," says Mary Dykstra, coordinator of CRWRC’s Service Learning Program.

Applications and program materials are available in English, Spanish and Korean.
Program details and an online application form are available at www.crwrc.org, by emailing an inquiry to [email protected], by calling 616-241-1691 or toll free 1-800-55-CRWRC.

For more information about CRWRC, the Youth-to-Youth Exchange Program, or other Service Learning and internship opportunities, call 1-800-55-CRWRC or visit www.crwrc.org.  For interview, call Service Learning Program Coordinator Mary Dykstra at 616-241-1691 or Beth DeGraff, CRWRC Media Contact, at 616-648-7821.