Archive for March, 2016

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Youth Ambassador Program 2016

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Megan Lamach, a 16-year-old student at Capital High School in Helena, Montana, was recently selected for the Youth Ambassadors Program.  She heard about the program from her Grandmother, Jane Amdahl, and she decided to apply.  Now, on April 23, she will be flying out of Helena, MT headed for Washington, D.C.  She will stay in Washington, D.C. for 5 days before departing for her ultimate destination, Brasilia, Brazil.  Megan’s entire trip will span three weeks; she will return to Helena on May 14.

The Youth Ambassadors Program intends to unite students and mentors from different countries and cultures.  It emphasizes leadership skills as well as preparing students to make positive contributions to their home communities.  Another goal of the program is to encourage relationships between youth from different social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.  The program brings together students from the United States and South America to promote mutual understanding.  The Youth Ambassadors Program is run by World Learning and receives funding from the United States Department of State and the United States Embassy in Brazil.

Megan participates in Upward Bound at Capital High School,  a program that teaches leadership and prepares high school students for college.  Both of Megan’s parents are remarried, so she has many siblings: 2 brothers, 1 half-sister, and 4 step-brothers.  Megan loves kids and animals, and her favorite subject in school is biology.  A sophomore in high school, Megan thinks she wants to either pursue a career as a doctor, or as a veterinarian.

 

Thursday, March 24, 2016

International Delegations

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March has been a busy month for us here at WorldMonana.  We have had three separate international delegations visit us in a period of two weeks: a Women Leaders delegation from South America and Spain, an Environmental Stewardship delegation from Asia, and a Child Welfare and U.S. Justice System delegation from Indonesia.

Our Women Leaders delegation was in Helena from March 16 – March 19.  While here they met with Jen Euell (Program Director of MWF), Nikki Anderson (President of ExplorationWorks), Dr. Liz Gandersen (Robotics), Lauren River (SciGirls classes), Kellie Goodwin McBride (Executive Director of YWCA), Jason Smith (State Director of Indian Affairs), Mandy Smoker (Director of Indian Education for All, OPI), and were greeted by Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney. They also toured Carroll College, downtown Helena, and visited Atlas Fitness for a basic self-defense class.

Our Environmental Stewardship delegation arrived on March 17, and departed on March 23.  The delegates came from China, Thailand, and Indonesia.  They visited Yellowstone National Park and Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana.

Our Child Welfare delegation from Indonesia was in Helena from March 19 – March 23.  They met with Supreme Court Justice Jim Rice, visited the Office of the Governor, and toured Riverside Youth Correctional Facility.  They also toured Grant-Kohrs Ranch in Deer Park, Montana.

The next delegation we are expecting arrives in April, a Wildlife Trafficking delegation from Mozambique.  We also have a busy summer planned with student groups arriving from Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico. Each group of high school students will stay for just under two weeks.

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