While the world is coming to Atlanta for the Olympic Games
this summer, a group of
Georgia 4-H’ers will be going the other direction.

They will travel to Japan July 16 to Aug. 14 as part of the 4-
H/Labo Exchange Program.

Applications are being accepted right now, said Greg Price, a
4-H specialist with the
University of Georgia Extension Service. Your county Extension
agent has the forms, which
should be returned by March 1.

"The 4-H/Labo in Japan Summer Homestay Program offers
young people the chance to
discover for themselves the secret behind modern Japan,"
Price said.

"They can see how its centuries-old customs have
combined with the cutting edge of
modern technology to produce this traditional yet vibrant
country," he said.

The Labo International Exchange Foundation is a nonprofit
organization that has been
organizing in-Japan homestay experiences in partnership with 4-H
since 1973.

In Georgia, it is coordinated by the UGA Extension Service
through its 4-H program,
which is the largest youth program in Georgia with nearly
200,000 members.

While staying with host families, the Georgia 4-H’ers will
attend Labo Club meetings,
an International Youth Symposium and attend a four-day Labo
Camp.

"There are five Labo Camps throughout Japan," Price
said, "and their
rural locations give students the opportunity to see what life
is like in the Japanese
countryside.

"Thatched-roof farmhouses, kimono-clad farmers using
centuries-old techniques to
harvest rice, cascading waterfalls and fruits drying in the
sunshine are common sights in
rural Japan," he said.

During the summer, homestay activities will be as varied as
the host families
themselves. School will still be in session when they arrive, so
the Georgians will have a
chance to visit a Japanese school and meet the students and
teachers.

When school is out, they will go on outings to local scenic
and historic sites, learn
traditional Japanese arts and enjoy other popular summer
activities.

"But most important," Price said, "the Georgia
4-H’ers will be members
of their host families.

"They will see how Japanese families live, what they
eat, where they sleep and
what they do in their spare time," he said. "They will
have a unique insight
into the lives and values of today’s Japanese young
people."

For more information about the 4-H/Labo Exchange Program and
an application form, talk
to your county Extension agent.