LINC: Lingking Individuals, Knowledge, and Cultures
Indonesian - American Exchange Program

What is LINC?  LINC is a two-way exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, created specifically so that  Indonesian and American teens could meet and learn more about each other, one another’s nations and cultures  LINC will  promote mutual understanding between the people of Indonesia and the United States. Programmatic activities introduce Indonesian and U.S. students to the principles of civil society and youth leadership as they are practiced in the both countries. Interactive workshops will highlight how the roles and responsibilities of citizens within a democracy bring well-being to the population.

Who will participate?  Ten high school students ages 15-17 from the Indonesian provinces of West Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Lombok and ten of their peers from the U.S.  The American youths will represent a wide spectrum of experiences: urban, rural, and suburban settings and Native American reservations.

When? Students who are selected from Indonesia went to the East Coast of the United State this July (2006).  For the two weeks they will participated in workshops, lived in homestay situations and learned more about the USA. Later, the teens will meet their American counterparts at the Global Youth Village camp where they will join campers from around the USA and many other nations.  Later in 2006, American youths will visit the homes, schools and communities of their Indonesian counterparts.

Where? Indonesian students will visit Washington D.C. and Philadelphia in addition to attending the Global Youth Village in Southern Virginia with American students (http://www.globalyouthvillage.org/).  American students will visit with their counterparts in Sumatra, Java and Lombok.

Why? LINC is first and foremost an exchange program.  That is, a program created to foster greater understanding and respect between individuals from different cultures and nations.  It is also anticipated that LINC will foster a group of young men and women who understand the importance of civic participation, and who have skills to carry out projects that will enhance their own lives and the lives of others in the surrounding schools and communities.