Partnership for Youth (P4Y)
in Building Disaster-Resilient Communities
An International Exchange and Civic Learning Opportunity for U.S. and Thai High School Students

P4Y Exchange for U.S. Students: June 25-July 18, 2006
P4Y Exchange for Thai Students: September 10-October 3, 2006


Applications for this program are now closed

 

The Issues

The Tsunami of December of 2004, Hurricane Katrina of August 2005, and the 7.6 earthquake that struck South Asia in October 2005 serve as vivid reminders of the power of nature.

And yet, much can be done internationally, nationally, and locally to better prepare for natural disasters. Where we build human settlements, how we build those settlements, and what additional precautions and preparations we take can save millions of lives and billions of dollars in property loss in the future. Equally important, much can be done to respond more effectively to disasters when they do hit. This is especially true if the youth of today are part of the planning process for the future.

What should youth do in the event of a natural disaster? How can youth educate themselves about the vulnerabilities of disasters in their communities? And what can they do to help their families, schools, or communities not only be more prepared, but to take all necessary measures to prevent disasters from occurring?

The Program

Channeling promising approaches in civic education into an experiential international learning and exchange process, Partnership for Youth (P4Y) in Building Disaster-Resilient Communities will bring together youth delegates from the United States and Thailand to work in teams to prepare a report that advocates youth engagement in disaster preparedness and education.

Specifically, 24 U.S. high school students will be selected to travel to southern Thailand and 24 Thai high school students from southern Thailand will be selected to travel to Hawaii to learn core concepts of civics, how they are understood in the United States and in Thailand, and how they can be applied to current public policy challenges posed by natural disasters like the Tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

Participants will make site visits to disaster-affected areas and hear oral histories from survivors; meet with disaster specialists as well as government and non-governmental agency officials working on disaster management; discuss with their host-country peers about examples of youth responses to disasters; and work in teams with their peers and with the program faculty to prepare a report that advocates youth engagement in disaster preparedness.

Goals

The overarching goals of P4Y are to:

    • develop in youth a sense of civic responsibility and a commitment to enhancing cultural bridges;
    • promote cross-cultural understanding, in this case, between the United States and Thailand, a country with a significant Muslim population in its southern provinces; and
    • foster personal and institutional ties between participants and partner countries.

 

 

This program is administered by the East-West Center with a grant from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) through its Linking Individuals, Knowledge, and Culture (LINC) Initiative, P4Y falls under the jurisdiction of ECA’s Youth Leadership Programs, which are designed to advance mutual understanding between the United States and countries with significant Muslim populations. Through people-to-people exchanges, ECA seeks to breakdown stereotypes that divide peoples, promote good governance, contribute to conflict prevention and management, and build respect for cultural expression and identity in a world that is experiencing rapid globalization.

Format

The 25-day program will involve travel, peer-to-peer exchanges and teamwork, field-based work, meetings with specialists and officials, research, and in-class workshop sessions involving role-plays, simulations, discussions, and presentations. Class and workshop learning will be supplemented by visits to important disaster sites to observe responses firsthand and meetings with specialists in disaster preparedness and planning as well as government and civic leaders responsible for disaster management. Additionally, class and outside activities will be accompanied by language workshops in Thai conversational phrases (for U.S. students) and technical civics-related terms (for Thai students), and cultural awareness activities to enhance students understanding of the issues being explored.

 

Homestays with local families, excursions to culturally significant sites, and recreational activities will provide added cultural and social dimensions to the program. The workshops, class work, and field visits will culminate in a draft report, addressing the “role of youth in preparing for and responding to natural disasters.” The report will be presented to the larger community and to the host country media in a major event at the conclusion of the program.

 

A detailed program schedule will be provided once the selection process is complete.
Teaching and Supervisory Staff

Students will be accompanied and supervised by a team of adults including teaching and faculty staff from both Thailand and the United States who are familiar with and knowledgeable of the host country, and who speak the local language. This supervision will include four teachers, in addition to a civic education specialist, disaster program coordinator, and the director of the East-West Center’s AsiaPacificEd Program.

Who Can Apply?

Interested students must meet all of the following participation criteria in order to be eligible for the program:

 
    • For students representing U.S. schools in the exchange program, applicants must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens (green card holders). Similarly, all participants from Thailand must be citizens of Thailand or should meet similar standards for their country as those requested by the U.S. participants above.
    • Be at least 15 years of age and no older than 17 years of age at the beginning of the exchange (i.e., date of departure), enrolled in a public or private high school in the United States/Thailand and have at least one year of high school study remaining when the applicant returns home.
    • Possess an academic record with a B grade average or higher in the current academic year.
    • Be able to communicate (speak, read, and write) with ease in English.
    • Be ready and committed to the time involved in the exchange program, including taking part in the orientation program in addition to the in-country training and completing all follow-up activities.
Selection Criteria

Completed applications will be evaluated by a selection committee, comprised of a binational team of approximately eight individuals with teaching, youth leadership, and/or community outreach experience using the following evaluation criteria:

    • Quality of application materials (application form, personal essay, and references)
    • Interest in community affairs and capacity to engage responsibly with different ideas and processes
    • Leadership experience and/or potential for leadership
    • History of community involvement and community-oriented extracurricular activities
    • Demonstrated interest in project theme and/or the partner country (Thailand/United States)
    • References
    • Diversity is one of the essential characteristics in a learning experience in which participants learn from one another. To achieve that goal, we seek a student body that reflects diverse backgrounds and/ or experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The selection committee will then select semifinalists to advance to phase two of the selection process, which will entail an in-person interview with an in-country selection committee, including the project director. Interviews will take place within an easy travel distance from the applicant’s school/home community. During the interview phase, the selection criteria will be based on the following qualities/abilities:

    • Clarity in articulating interests, goals, and purpose
    • Ability to interact with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures
    • Maturity and readiness for the program experience involving overseas cultural exchange and learning
    • Ability to communicate clearly and to comprehend fully in English

The final selection will be based on merit as evidenced in the application materials and the interview. The selection process will be open and competitive, and political or social influence will not play a part in that process. While we will consider applicants individually, we will also look at them as a “team” of those who bring diversity (of experiences as well as backgrounds) as part of their contributions to the program. Moreover, preferences will be given to students who have not had the opportunity to travel to the partner country before.

 

Application Procedure

Interested students must first meet the eligibility requirements (see eligibility requirements above). Those who meet the requirements must:

    • Complete the application form (http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/APED/P4Y%20application%20form.pdf). Be sure to have this form signed by your legal guardian or parent, verifying his/her approval of your participation in the program, and by your sponsoring teacher. Also, have your school principal/director sign the form to confirm that you meet the grade (B average) requirement.
    • Write a personal essay in English. Your essay should be between 400-600 words in double-spaced typed pages (if possible, please use font Times Roman, size 12 pt.). The essay should describe yourself, your background and achievements (including academic and extracurricular as well as personal), your interests, the things that are important to you, your reasons for wanting to participate in the program, your special perspectives, skills, or experience that would contribute to the program, and how the experience would enhance your learning and community service.
    • Complete two reference forms (print out form for your referees from our website: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/APED/P4Y%20reference%20.pdf), one from a teacher and another from a community leader both of whom have known you since the beginning of the 2005-2006 academic year and are familiar with your school as well as community/extracurricular work. It is helpful for referees to read a copy of the description of the program, as outlined in this information sheet, and your application essay. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ask the referees to send the reference form directly to the East-West Center and to make certain that the form is mailed to arrive no later than the deadline of March 31, 2006 (for U.S. applicants), and April 14, 2006 (for Thai applicants).

Conditions of Award

All major cost, such as international and domestic travel, housing, meals, and excursion fees, will be covered.

Passports : Participants are responsible for obtaining his/her own passport, which must be valid for travel to the United States/Thailand and with a validity date at least six months beyond the conclusion of the program. However, at the conclusion of the program, participants must return home.

U.S. Visas for Thai Students : Even if a participant is selected for the program based on our published criteria, she/he is not guaranteed a visa to enter the United States and will still need to go through the consular application process at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in order to receive a J-1 visa. Upon selection, East-West Center will send each participant the appropriate forms to complete.

Thai Visas for U.S. Students : Should Thai visas be required for U.S. students, the East-West Center will facilitate the visa procurement process. However, any fees associated will be the responsibilities of the students.

Student participants are responsible for:

    • Completing all readings and other assignments before their training program in June-July (for U.S. students) and September-October (for Thai students)
    • Participating actively and responsibly in the training program. Not doing so will subject participants to expulsion from the program
    • Completing follow-up action plans after the training program in their home community where they will be expected to organize at least one workshop in their school and one in their community
    • Completing pre- and post-evaluation questionnaires and interviews

     

Checklist of Application Materials

The following items constitute a completed application:

  1. Completed and signed application form, typed or written in block letters using black ink (which can be downloaded from our website at: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/APED/P4Y%20application%20form.pdf
  2. Your personal essay: 400-600 words on double-spaced typed pages. If possible, please use Times Roman, size 12pt.
  3. Two completed reference forms from a teacher and community leader sent by your referees directly to the East-West Center by the application deadline (print out the forms for your referees from our website: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/asiapacificed/APED/P4Y%20reference%20.pdf).

 

Submission of Applications

By Mail : Send three complete sets with each set collated in the following order: application form followed by your personal essay to:

AsiaPacificEd Program/East-West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848, USA

The application packet must be received by the East-West Center no later than March 31, 2006 (U.S. applicants), and April 14, 2006 (Thai applicants).

By Fax: (808) 944 7070. Faxed applications must be received by the East-West Center by 5 P.M. (Hawaii Pacific Time) on deadlines indicated.

 

Notification Procedure

For U.S. students, successful applicants will be notified of their selection for phase two (interview process) by April 5. Final selections are expected to be made by April 14. Successful applicants will have until April 24 to accept or decline the offer.

For Thai students, successful applicants will be notified of their selection for phase two (interview process) by April 28. Final selections are expected to be made by May 5. Successful applicants will have until May 12 to accept or decline the offer.

Applicants who will not be home during the notification period should provide a phone number or email address where they can be reached. No information concerning the status of an application will be available prior to the official notification period.

 

 

The East-West Center

The U.S. Congress established the East-West Center in 1960 with a mandate to "promote better relations and understanding between the United States and the nations of Asia and the Pacific through cooperative study, training, and research." Under the leadership of an international Board of Governors, the Center works to promote a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Asia Pacific community wherein the United States is a natural and valued partner.

 

A major effort at the East-West Center has been to help infuse studies of the Asia Pacific region into the curricula of U.S. schools by educating the educators. Through its education programs, the Center works closely with public, private, parochial, and charter elementary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities nationwide to help better prepare the United States for an era of much greater interaction with the Asia Pacific region.

As a public, nonprofit corporation, the Center receives core funding for its programs from a U.S. government appropriation. Additional support comes from foundations, international agencies, Asia Pacific government entities, corporations, and private individuals.

 

 

Contact Us

Should you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact:

Rosita MacDonald
AsiaPacificEd Program
East-West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848
TEL: 808-944-7378; FAX: 808 944-7070
EMAIL: macdonar@eastwestcenter.org
WEBSITE: www.AsiaPacificEd.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East-West Center | 1601 East-West Road | Honolulu, Hawaii 96848 | USA | Established 1960