Welcome to Wisconsin

4-H International High School Student Orientation

Add two slides regarding this: Adapting to a Rural Lifestyle Many of our HS/FLEX students come from urban areas in their home countries, so living with a rural 4-H family can be a bit shocking at first! Some students just can’t believe that people actually choose to live in the countryside rather than the city, because in many of their home countries the urban lifestyle is viewed as the ideal. When working with your students, help them understand how important it is to communicate with their host families about transportation and activities. This can be one of the biggest adjustments to rural life – they can’t just hop on a train or bus to get where they want to go. With a little advance planning, they won’t feel so isolated. Also, help them focus on the positive aspects of their placement, such as beautiful scenery, fresh air, a tight-knit community, and the chance to build good relationships.

Orientation Binder Contents• Program information, expectations and requirements• List of State Staff, Volunteer Counselors, Community

Mediators, Hosts, and Students. • Questionnaire for 1st day with host family• LOTS of other important information!

What is 4-H?

Focus: Leadership, Volunteerism, Citizenship, and Practical Learning

Clubs and Members

Several clubs in each county; 7,090,920 members in U.S.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Oversees National 4-H Program

Land Grant Universities

All states have University Extension and 4-H Youth Development

Counties

4-H is in all 3,067 counties of U.S. with agent or coordinator

Wisconsin Program Contacts

• 4-H Outreach SpecialistKay Hobler, Madison

• 4-H FLEX Program Coordinator Nolan Lendved, Madison

• 4-H International Assistant• Stephanie Hemshrot, Madison

Program ContactsHow to contact us?

• Telephone at office or home

• E-mail

Normally check daily during the week

• Monthly “Reporting Back” form

Must submit before stipends are mailed to you

•Teleconferences

• 1 or 2 Midpoint Meetings or Gatherings

• 2 School visits

• Home visits, if needed

Program Contacts

• National CounselorKristina Mirkadyrova

San Diego, California

• Wisconsin 4-H FLEX CounselorAllison Suchon, Madison

WI 4-H Cares for International Students

• Midpoint Meetings

• Teleconferences

• Monthly Reporting Back forms

• Telephone Calls

4-H Participation • Projects• Club meetings• County events• Presentations

Goals & ExpectationsWhat do you expect from this program?

• It is important to think of your goals and expectations for the coming year NOW!

• Your host family, 4-H educator, and school will want to know why you came to the USA

What families expect from studentsExpectations

Share own culture

Become family member

Spend time with them

Daily communication

Help with chores

Don’t spend too much time in your bedroom

Don’t spend more than ½ hour/day on computer (except for homework)

Be considerate (time—bathroom, rides, etc.)

Honor rules

What schools expect from students

Grades (A, B, C all okay)

History or government classes

English

Physical Education

Extra-Curricular

Expectations

4-H expectations from delegatesExpectations

• Bond with carefully selected, assigned unpaid hosts

• Share culture of your home country with hosts, school and community

• Serve as ambassador of your country

• Obey parents’ and program’s rules

• Do not expect vacations and travel

You could be sent home for any of the following:

• Alcohol

• Drugs

• Tobacco

• Pornography (possession or viewing)

• Sexual relationships

• Lying, Stealing

• Failing grades

Program Termination

Becoming a Family Member • Share feelings

• Communicate continuously

• Be truthful, honest

• Be helpful

• Do special things for them

• Respect their schedules

• NEVER gossip about them with anyone!

Living with a host familyHost Brothers and Sisters

• May share room

• Expect to help you with questions

• Sometimes best friends, usually not

• Ask questions to get to know them well

First impressions important

• Sometimes argue or fight

Americans are very expressive

Living with a host familyYour Bedroom

• Leave your room like you found it

• Ask host parents before hanging things on walls or moving furniture

• Family understands you need time to yourself but try to not spend a lot of time in your room with the door closed

Host ParentsLiving with a host family

• Father involved with family

• Mother works

• Everyone shares chores

Importance of time to Americans

Living with a host family

• Promptness

• Keep a calendar

• Tell family when want to go to events immediately so goes on calendar

• Be on time when going out or being picked up

Participation in daily activities & chores

Living with a host family

• Do promptly without being asked and when asked

• Volunteer to help out around the house

Living with a host familyTry to spend some time with host family every day

Participate in activities like playing games, eating meals together, going to church and visiting friends and relatives.

Privacy and Time Spent Studying

Living with a host family

• Respect family’s private space

• If you have things you don’t want to share with family or small children might pick up, lock them in your suitcase. Examples may be:

Journal

Letters

Passport

Money

Ask host parents and siblings for

help but understand

they are busy too.

Computer Usage

Students should not be on e-mail or social networks for more than ½ hour per day.

Community Mediator

• Someone to talk to about concerns about family, school, homesickness

• Serve as a host during emergencies or as a break

School Mentor• Introduce you to students, teachers, administrators

• Help you find classrooms, extra-curricular activities, school organizations

• Teach you about school life

Introduction to SchoolRegistration, School Tour, Grades

• List classes desired before meeting with counselor. Will your school accept grades from the U.S.?

• WI 4-H requires you to take American history or government, English, and physical education – or an extracurricular sport each semester.

School

• Talk to people—don’t wait for them to talk to you

• Accept invitations after asking host—don’t expect to be asked more than twice if you don’t go

• Trust parents’ judgment about choice of friends

Making friends

• Casual, not “best friends”

• Parties—what like, when to leave, and how

• Where to seek friends

• Beware of “wrong crowd”

• Dating

School

• Clubs and sports are important

• All students are required to participate in at least one extra-curricular activity

School

Graduation

School

• Depends on the school’s policies

• Some students may be allowed to graduate and others won’t

• Don’t argue with school if they say you can’t

American Cultural TipsAmericans teenagers usually shower and

wash their hair every day.

American teenagers always wear deodorant and wear clothes only once or twice before laundering.

When speaking to each other, Americans stand a little less than one meter apart.

Cultural Adjustment

Honeymoon Surface adjustments Feels at home

Culture shock Unresolved conflicts Departure concerns

Stages of culture shock

Coping• Physical exercise

• Journal

• Talk with family

• Talk with community mediator, counselor or 4-H staff

• Sunshine

• Sleep on it

FLEX Scholarship Funds• Incidentals money

(start-up funds)

$150/semester ($300 total)

We need receipts to equal total

• Monthly Stipend

$125

Must receive report before distribution

Budget carefully!

• Enhancement Funds

$300 per year

Covers special events, activities

• Emergency Funds

$300 available

Covers dental, vision, or other emergency costs

Have a fun and educational year in Wisconsin!