International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) Programs
National IFYE Program on Hiatus for 2024
Kansas 4-H has participated with the IFYE (International Four-H Youth Exchange) program since its beginning in 1948. In the past 75-years, Kansas 4-H has sent hundreds of IFYEs to countries around the world and hosted thousands of IFYEs with Kansas 4-H host families.
The IFYE Association of the USA, Inc. recently announced changes for the 2024 program year. IFYE works with the Kansas IFYE Association and Kansas 4-H Youth Development to sponsor the program, in Kansas.
Due to a lack of national applicants to travel to other countries in 2024, the IFYE Association of the USA has made the following decision: "The Development Committee recommends that the IFYE Association of the USA, Inc., pursue internal restructuring effective immediately to research and study the future of the association. There will also be no cultural exchange in
2024."
“The IFYE board now moves forward with establishing a committee that will spend 2024 studying program relevance, generational changes impacting our program, and how best to realign with donors; developing an organizational model; collaborating with international partners on moving forward; and examining our funding structure which ranges from participant fees to alumni donations, government entities, grants and more in order to better grow and
sustain the program.”
This change does not affect the exchanges with States’ 4-H International Exchange Programs that will send four Kansas 4-H youth in summer 2024 to Japan and Norway. It also does not affect the 36 youth and three chaperones from Japan who will arrive in Kansas July 21 for a 3½ week home stay with Kansas 4-H families. In addition, the Academic Year Program (AYP) or high school exchange program will continue through June for the two students who are livin with Kansas 4-H host families for the 2023-24 school year.
The IFYE program is planning to operate again in 2025.
4-H Alumni aged 19-25 may elect to spend two, three or six months abroad depending on their travel location preferences. Applications for 2025 are tentatively due on November 15, 2024. Please notify Mary Kay Munson at 785-375-3189 or email her at mkm2@ksu.edu when you submit an application to the National IFYE Assocation. A required in-person interview will be held on Sunday, mid-November in Junction City, KS.
2024 Kansas 4-H International Exchange Program Opportunities
2024 Kansas 4-H International Exchange Program Flyer
The below countries are tentatively available June-August (2 months) or June-September (3 months). The updated list is on the national IFYE web site: www.ifyeusa.org.
Austria
Costa Rica
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Luxembourg
Norway
Slovenia
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
The below countries that are tentatively available from September-December (3 months).
Argentina
Costa Rica
Germany
India
Kenya
Moroco
Thailand
