2009 Youth Exchange

Welcome to the 2009 Youth Exchange Trip Site!

Arrival 7/30/2009 (click this title for the photo gallery)

They have finally arrived! After many months of planning, corresponding, and great anticipation, our guests pulled into the parking lot of the East Peoria Wal-Mart. Naturally, they were wrung out from a 17-hour journey (we heard that nobody slept on the bus ride down from O’Hare), yet they looked very happy to be met with open arms, smiling faces and hugs of welcome!

It’s the type of welcome that occurs every time our guests arrive. We had been waiting for this moment for so many months … anticipating the excitement of meeting someone from a different culture … comparing and contrasting how each of us lives and what we like to do … that emotions ran over for many of our host families. This is as it should be. After all, the point of this youth exchange is to make personal contact with a real person … not just a stereotype of his/her culture … and learn from each other. Learn that people throughout the world are not that different from each other – although there are differences – and that the world is a place to embrace and explore.

Wildlife Prairie Park 8/1/2009

The day began bright, but the forecast called for rain … and they were right! Before we began our day at Wildlife Prairie State Park, a steady drizzle moistened the ground, but not our spirits! We gathered under a wide shelter near the visitor center, and everyone compared stories from the first two days. What is your family like? Are you having fun? What did you do last night? The stories varied … some had “more fun” than others, but everyone seemed to be getting along just fine. We were joined by a naturalist who brought the Animal of the Day … a snapping turtle! He did not appreciate being handled and looked at by so many people. And he showed his displeasure by hissing at us! When the naturalist walked around the crowd with him, many jumped far out of the way! After that, we watched the antelope and bison being fed in the pasture. The antelope ate first and fast, because when the bison eventually sauntered up, they clearly ruled the field! The antelope and the birds kept their distance from their larger friends, who also had several calves in their herd. Then we all ventured to the back of the property, gathering under a shelter for our own program. Students were divided into small groups, and each group played a game, where they needed to work as a team to solve the puzzle. Some formed a human pretzel. Others had to direct a small ball through a series of pipes. Another group yet had the simple task of balancing a stick on their fingers, then lowering it to the ground … but it wasn’t so easy! Finally, we all played the game of “Two Truths and a Lie” in which every person told three things about himself or herself. Two things were true and one was a lie. It was great fun to guess which were untrue … and we learned a lot about each other in the process. So during this first event, we all worked together, learned new things about each other, and got this year’s exchange off to a great start!

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