A Premiere United States/Mongolian High School Exchange Program for Current Denver Area Public High School Sophomore and Juniors
Program Description for U.S. Students, Parents and Schools
Since 2006, the Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee, together with the Mongolian not-for-profit Zorig Foundation, has organized, run and funded this annual premiere US – Mongolia high school exchange program. Luby-Jenkins School Student Exchange Program is a limited open-application group exchange program which at its core involves two-week exchange visits to each other’s country. The program is limited to high school sophomores and juniors from the Denver area and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Students Interests and Program Focus
- The Program is designed to provide international and cross-cultural learning for students who are interested in leadership, civic engagement and democracy.
- The Program consists of:
1) Pre-trip meetings and interactive discussions
2) Four weeks of international exchanges, half in Mongolia and half in Colorado
3) Individual student post-trip projects applying and communicating what they have learned
Qualifications and Selection of U.S. Student Participants
- Student applicants must be high school sophomores or juniors at the time of application.
- Applicants must have or obtain a valid passport or residency documentation that allows them to leave and return to the U.S.
- Each applicant must have permission from a legal guardian or parent to participate in the Program and to travel abroad to Mongolia.
- Students must be from one of our selected metro Denver area schools or organizations.
- Applications must be submitted by the student and received at the Ulaanbaatar- Denver Sister Cities office in person, by mail or electronically by January 17th, 2021.
- The Program this year will select up to five U.S. students. The Zorig Foundation will select a similar number of Mongolian students. Selection is highly competitive and the Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee reserves the right to select who they believe will most benefit from the Program and who are most appropriate for the Program. Both interest and experience in the Program’s focus areas will be among the selection factors.
- The Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee will make selections and obtain commitments from selected participants by the end of January 2022.
Program Duration and Commitments
- The Program, including each participant’s time abroad, spans a program period from February through July, 2022.
- Students must attend pre-trip meetings and activities and fully participate in both hosting activities of Mongolian students visiting Colorado as well as the U.S. student trip to Mongolia. After the conclusion of the exchange portion, students will be expected to participate in projects sharing their experiences.
Winter and Spring Pre-trip Programming
- The pre-trip portion of the U.S. Program will occur between February 1st and departure.
- The students must attend these pre-trip sessions.
- These activities include programming in civic engagement, leadership and democracy as well as program and cultural orientation.
Summer Exchange
- The actual physical exchanges will take place in June and July, 2022.
- The first exchange will be for U.S. students, as a group, traveling to Ulaanbaatar and rural Mongolia, hosted by their Mongolian counterparts.
- The second exchange will be for the Mongolian students traveling to Denver and Colorado. Each exchange will be
- approximately two weeks in length.
- The student is asked to host one of the Mongolian high school students in their home during their stay in Denver. If special circumstances warrant this requirement may be waived. However, all U.S. students must actively participate in otherwise hosting the Mongolian counterpart group during their visit to Denver.
Summer and Fall Post-Trip Follow-up Student Projects
- The individual post-trip follow-up activities shall be developed by the Ulaanbaatar – Denver Sister Cities Committee and the individual student and will include projects, presentations and internships.
Underwriting & Cost to Students
- The Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee and the Zorig Foundation independently raise funds to cover the cost of their portion of the exchange including most travel expenses for students from both countries. Each U.S. student or family is asked, however, to contribute $400 towards program costs
- This must be accomplished by May 1, 2022.
- The Committee is available to assist any selected student to obtain scholarship support or work to raise the $400 contribution. The Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee will do all they can to help students meet this requirement and make sure selected students are able to raise this contribution.
Our Ulaanbaatar Mongolian Partners
- This Program is an activity of the Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee and in Mongolia the Committee’s long-term partner Zorig Foundation.
- The Committee has many additional partners in this program. This includes referring schools and organizations, Denver Sister Cities International LLC, the Mayors in both Denver and Ulaanbaatar, the Kohn Family Foundation, the Honorary Consul of Mongolia, individuals such as long-time supporter Walt Jenkins and many Sister Cities volunteers who help operate the program as well as raise money for the Program.
Applications
- Applications for U.S. sophomore and juniors in Denver area public high schools, institutions and organizations are now available at the Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee’s office at 1700 Broadway, Suite 710, Denver, Colorado 80290, by telephone at 303-908-6658, or by emailing Committee Program Liaison at erika@tayloredfitnessonline.com
- Parties requesting more information may also contact the Program at the below numbers and address.
Information about this application is available:
The Denver Ulaanbaatar Sister Cities Committee
wagenlan@wagenlander.com (303) 832-6173
1700 Broadway, Suite 710
Denver, CO. 80290