Young people promote Finnish-US relations
Press release 206/2009
12 August, 2009
The Finland-US Senate Youth Exchange Program takes place this year for the 27th time. The exchange programme makes Finland better known in the United States. The Senate Youth Exchange Program is visible widely in American schools; it is estimated that at least 600,000 young people hear about it each year.
“While living in Finnish families, the scholarship recipients come into deep contact with our culture. When they return home, they make the best ambassadors for Finland. I believe that, as future opinion leaders, they will promote relations between our two countries. Exchange programmes for senior high school students play an important role in building a more tolerant world, because young people are still in the process of forming their attitudes and image of the world,” says Elina Talonen-Lintunen, Executive Director of Youth For Understanding Finland (YFU).
A youth exchange organisation, YFU handles the Senate Youth Exchange Program arrangements in Finland. The programme brings talented 15–17 year-olds to Finland for an eight-week period. The scholarship recipients are chosen on the basis of a writing competition on Finland, success at school and motivation.
The programme has prestigious support: US senators serve as ‘godparents’ of the programme, and in Finland the young people meet influential people from different levels of society. The young people live with Finnish host families, and they also learn about Finland’s history, society and corporate world.
The programme climaxes in a meeting with Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb. Organised in honour of the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and the United States, the meeting will take place in Helsinki on Thursday, 13 August.
Additional information and requests for interviews: Executive Director Elina Talonen-Lintunen, Youth For Understanding Finland (YFU), tel. +358 9 622 6130, mobile tel. +358 50 322 3370, [email protected], Renne Klinge, Head of Media Group, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5815, mobile tel. +358 40 824 3933, [email protected]