Pleasant Hill senior chosen for 4-H Australian exchange program
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in source: CASS COUNTY DEMOCRAT MISSOURIAN
PHOTO DEMOCRAT MISSOURIAN: Shelby Dunlalp, Exchange participant
During her last semester at Pleasant Hill High School, senior Shelby Dunlap is busy not only preparing for graduation and her college career, but also making plans to spend a month this summer in Australia.
The trip, which is scheduled from June 16 to July 17, is sponsored by the state’s 4-H International Exchange Program and will cost the teen $5,100. Dunlap is one of three students from Missouri who was chosen for the experience and is the only representative of Cass County.
Cass County 4-H youth specialist Sarah Staude said Dunlap will stay with a rural Australian family during her visit, participating in everyday activities and learning about Australian culture.
“I think it’s probably different than normal visiting the country because it’s more about the culture and what everyday life is, which is something that you don’t normally get even when you do a school exchange program,” Staude said. “Here, it’s life every day, what do you get up and do, chores, everything. So, it’s more to learn about their culture and then in turn share our culture with them.”
Music is one aspect of American culture Dunlap hopes to share with her host family.
“I’m taking my flute and I’m going to play some music and have a CD with some music from over here,” she said. “Some of my favorite songs and then maybe some cultural music with my flute.”
She said she also plans to make an American food dish for her host family, although right now, she doesn’t know who that family will be.
Staude said Dunlap will know more of the trip’s details after she attends an orientation meeting in March.
“They haven’t picked host families or assigned them yet,” Staude said. “She’ll probably have one or two host families and they will probably be rural, agriculture based mostly.”
She said Dunlap may be placed with a family who has horses or sheep because she raises horses and Boar goats on her grandparents’ farm, Pryor Downs.
Dunlap filled out an application to participate in the Australian exchange program in December, but said she had wanted to go since she first heard about it. After being interviewed at the 4-H state headquarters, she found out she had been chosen in January. Approximately 15 students from across the United States will participate in the exchange to Australia, which is coordinated by the Wisconsin 4-H program.
Staude said other exchange programs also exist.
“Through 4-H, if people are interested, you can also go to Japan, Norway, Finland and Costa Rica through the same exchange program,” she said. “In turn, families, if they’re interested, can host kids from those countries that are coming here.”
Dunlap said Australia was the most appealing opportunity for her. [...]
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