Frequently Asked Questions - iearnpk.org

1 1 Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program Pakistan Frequentl y Asked Questi ons K-L YES 2016 - 2017 PROGRAM APPLICATION: 1. What is the c ost of the P rogram? The pr ogram is fully sponsored and the scholarship covers all major costs like Airfare, US Visa Fee, boarding and lodging in USA, School Tuition and a $125 a month pocke t money. 2. Is their any flexibilit y in age? No, the age criteria is not flexible. Students have to be minimum 15 years old and maximum 17 years on 1st August, 2016 (the year the y are traveling to the USA) for the program.

2 3. Can I apply, compete a nd t hen i f I get s elected, I decide if I am really s erious about actual participat ion in t he p rogram? This is highly discouraged; you can apply only if you are genuinely and seriously interested in partic ipating in the pr ogram from ve ry beginning and ha s full family support and permission. Since we are not charging any fee for application, it adds to our cost of processing the applications and tests if an applicant is not serious in the program partic ipation. 4. I have already traveled to USA, can I apply?

3 No, anyone who has already traveled to the is not eligible for the program. 5. Can I apply i f my sibling has b een on YES program? No, you cannot. 6. I am not a Pakistani nat ional, do I qualify to apply? No, the pr ogram partic ipa tion is only for Pakistani na tionals bearing Pakistani B For m and Pakistani HOST FAMILIES: 7. Where will the s tudents live in t he U SA? All K-L YES e xcha nge s tudents are placed in host families f or o ne academic year and given admission in a school for one academic session. These placements are done by a gr oup of the US based student s excha nge organizations that are well reput ed and are approved by the US D epartment of Education and Bureau of C ultural Affairs.

4 Pakistani students will be placed by ACES, AFS USA, American Councils, ASSE, FAYA/AIFS, AYUSA, CCI Greenheart, CIEE, FLAG, IRIS, PAX, STS Fdn, World Learning, World Link and YFU USA, 8. What are h ost f amilies? These families are ve ry carefully chosen and take care of the exchange student s like their own children, atte nding the pa rents meetings at schools, ge tting involved and taking interest in eve rything the students are doing. These families give special importanc e to the exc hange students to make this one year memorable and exciting for them orga nizing activities and eve nts for the s tudents.

5 9. Where d o hos t families come f rom? The host families are a s ethnically diverse a s the p opulation of the While English must be the first language spoken in the home, this does not pr eclude the fact that many families are from varied ethnic backgrounds, Afri can-Americans, Asian- Americans, European-Americans and Hispa ni c- Americans. The pe rcentage of whi te, Anglo-Saxon families gr ows smalle r and smaller each year. Students should be prepa red to be placed with host families from any type of ethnic and cultural background.

6 In addition, families of all religious backgrounds can be found in eve ry American community. Most American families atte nd church and identify themselves with a partic ular religion. Host families are Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Protestant, Baptist and most other religions represented in the demographics of the Howeve r, Community Represent atives ensures tha t female Pakistani students are not pl aced in families whe re the re are boys over 13 years. The gi rls will also be exempt ed from all activities, sports etc. that require them to wear clot hes that are agains t Islamic and Pakistani value s.

7 10. How are the h os ts selected? The staff from the placement or ga nizations mentioned above selects the host families matching them with the interests of the students the y are placing with the family. The potential host families are found through community service or ganizations, churches, athletic leagues, youth groups, foreign language classes, malls, county and state fairs, advertising, etc. 11. What w ill be my stat us at t he h ost f amily? Students will de ve lop many relationships during the ten months on the K-L YES pr ogram. The relationship with the student's host family is at the he art of the cultural excha nge and will likely to be the most important of the year.

8 American Councils and other placement or ganizations staff makes every effort to place students with families that will compliment their students' personalit y and interests. All K-L YES students3 need to possess a strong desire to be pa rt of an American family and a willingness to accept responsibilities in their ne w family. These responsibilities will include (for both boys and girls) helping with household chores, keeping one's room clean, and abiding by all family rules, eve n if they differ f rom their natural family's rules. Student must exhibit flexibility, tact, politene ss and maturity of cha racter.

9 K-L YES students who expect to be treated like guests or given special consideration in their American families are unlikely to succeed on the p rogram. 12. Can I live w ith my relatives? No, students are not allowed to be hosted by their relatives in t he USA or can de mand to be placed with relatives. Any interference by the relatives in the USA will affect the adjus tment proc ess negati ve ly. 13. Can you e nsure I live with a Muslim or a Pakistani f amily? This cannot be ensured or guaranteed or demanded from iEARN or from the placement or ga nizations.

10 The iEARN-PK of fice does not int erfere in the pl acement part of the program and it is entirely up to the placement orga nizations in the 14. Are t he s tudents safe in t he h os t f amilies? Yes, t he y are perfectly safe s ocially and physically, provided s tudents fol low t he K-L Y ES r ules and abide b y the f amily rules. You can read the general pr ogram policies and rules at: SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS I SSUES: 15. Can I pray and f ast while on t he e xc hange in t he U SA? Yes, you can pr ay and practice your religion ve ry easily. The families and schools cooperate a lot in this rega rd.