March 17, 2025
Opportunities Still Available to Host International 4-H’ers in June-July
Want to add a new cultural experience for your family in late June or July? Kansas is expecting Norwegian and Taiwanese 4-H teens during that time frame this year. The Norway group of about 6 teens and a female chaperone will be in Kansas June 25-July 19. The six Taiwan 4-H teenagers and their chaperone are here July 3-August 2 with the chaperone splitting time between two families for two weeks each. Both present great opportunities to show them your celebration of July 4th and early summer 4-H activities. Members of both delegations are boys and girls, ages 15-18.
The Norway delegation’s applications arrived at States’ 4-H in early March, and Kansas families have claimed four of the delegates and the second half of the chaperone’s time by mid-March. Families interested in hosting a Norwegian teen or the chaperone should act now, while teens of several ages and interests are still available. To meet our state commitment, we need three more families. Hosts for teens must have a host sibling of the same gender and within two years of age of the teen they host. The 11-12 day hosts for their female chaperone, who is a 24-year-old Norway 4H leader and landscape architect, have no host sibling requirements.
We expect applications for the 6 Taiwanese teens and their chaperones will arrive any day and will be placed on a first-come basis. The host sibling requirements are the same as for the Norwegians. Taiwan 4-H members have been hosted by a number of Kansas families in the last 20 years. The Taiwanese are very enthusiastic about their 4-H and getting ideas that they can use back home. Families have found them to have English skills and to be very flexible leaders, who are ready to jump at the chance to be involved in family and local activities while here. They’ve cooked Chinese dishes, taught games and crafts, and shared what 4-H does in Taiwan.
We look forward to getting applications from interested families for both Norwegians and Taiwanese now and to placements completed in April. The same host family application is used for all 4-H age exchanges through States’ 4-H International Exchange countries including Norway, Taiwan, and Japan. (Please note that Costa Rica 4-S members will not be coming to Kansas this year, though references to them may still appear on the Kansas 4-H website.) Go to Apply to Host. For more information on hosting 4-H exchanges, you may contact the state coordinator, Mary Kay Munson at 785-375-3189 or mkm2@ksu.edu.