General Guidelines for Kansas Hosts and Coordinators
Educational and Cultural Exchanges
Kansas Paraguay Partners (KPP) collaborates with its counterpart, Comité Paraguay Kansas (CPK) in numerous educational and cultural exchanges each year. You can play a vital role in personal diplomacy when you plan, coordinate and / or host an exchange in your community. Part of the reward is developing new personal relationships and cross-cultural understanding.
Planning and Coordinating
From time to time, KPP calls for volunteers to host individuals or groups with particular areas of interest. Individuals may be sponsored in part by travel grants from Partners of the Americas (POA). Before a grant can be finalized, minimum requirements must be met by the host and KPP chapter, often in a very short timeframe. With a modest amount of courage, you may help meet the minimum requirements. Then, working out the details before the visitors arrive is part of the adventure. This is generally very rewarding and not very difficult.
There are three specific requirements. It is the responsibility of KPP, as the hosting chapter, to confirm and communicate these to CPK and POA. Work with KPP officers and/or the appropriate subcommittee chair to give information on what you are able to provide.
1. Letter of invitation from the hosting chapter
2. Tentative program or itinerary of activities, generally for at least 10 days, prepared by the hosting chapter.
- Individually, or as a team, you can arrange an itinerary. See Steps for a Successful Exchange, below.
-The itinerary does not need to be extensive or rigorous. Plan what is reasonably possible. Some details may be confirmed and developed once the exchange is more certain.
3. Confirmation from the hosting chapter of arrangements made for home stays.
-You may plan the exchange, be the night host, or both.
-Night hosts provide lodging, some meals, and some transportation.
-Depending on the exchange objectives, there may be multiple night hosts in multiple towns.
Steps for a Successful Exchange Visit
When planning and coordinating exchange, consider some of these factors.
-Identify and understand the Objectives of the exchange visit.
-Plan activities to focus on the Objectives.
-Consider the appropriate base location for the exchange objectives.
-For some topic areas, such as emergency services, smaller communities may be easier and more pertinent for making contact with appropriate technology and comparable organizations.
-If the guests are a mixed group, consider a team of planners and coordinators. For example, if a group of students is chaperoned by a teacher, you may want to plan some professional activities for the teacher while the students are in class. It’s a lot of work to coordinate activities for both. Consider having at least one coordinator for the students and another coordinator for the teacher.
-Approach prospective hosts and participants in an inviting manner.
-“What is possible?”
-“What do you suggest or recommend?”
-“Can you connect us with other opportunities?”
-Plan activities to make the schedule full and profitable for the visitors. At the same time, allow for flexibility, contingencies, and rest.
-Educate and orient hosts and participants prior to the exchange.
-What are the objectives of the exchange?
-What is KPP?
-How is Paraguay both similar and different from Kansas?
-Express desire for applicable ideas that are technologically and culturally appropriate and sustainable.
-Look for bilateral opportunities: “What can we learn from Paraguay?”
-Orientation allows participants to think about the context prior to the primary interaction
-It is very helpful if the orientation presenter has been to Paraguay. Some cultural factors are hard to comprehend and appreciate without that experience.
-Seek to understand some of the cultural issues and differences within Paraguay as well as between PY and USA.
-Arrange for interpreters to the extent necessary or desirable.
-An initial reception for the visitor(s) and key hosts or participants is helpful. This
-Adds to the orientation
-Allows a primary interaction to not be the “only” interaction
-Helps participants to form additional context
-Allows participants to ruminate on context prior to the primary interaction
-KPP and POA encourage or require an opportunity for some members and officers to meet the exchange guests. An initial reception may be the good opportunity to do this.
-A debriefing with a few key individuals is beneficial.
-Identify key results and topics for follow-up.
-Evaluate how well objectives were met.
-Identify highlights and areas for improvement for future reference.
Additional Information for Hosts
The host’s responsibility is to provide housing, breakfast, some lunches and most dinners and as comfortable and inviting experience as possible. Flexibility of schedules varies between individual and group exchanges. Most days of a group visit will have planned activities. Individual exchanges have key topics and appointments to meet. However, if a host has a special event scheduled on a particular day, the planned activity could be judiciously skipped.
Hosts are encouraged to participate in as many of the activities as possible. Day hosts may be needed to accompany or provide transportation for guests whose night hosts are unavailable to do so. Other interested people may also participate in the activities. Some free time may be scheduled so that hosts can share their particular interests or accommodate special interests of the Paraguayans. Many visitors expect to spend time shopping. Hosts can use their judgment about how much time to spend looking for bargains. See Economics, below.
General Information:
Language: Spanish speaking ability is not a prerequisite for hosting. Often the Paraguayans have limited English and hosts have limited Spanish, but with dictionaries and gestures, communication is usually accomplished. Coordinators should try to anticipate the need for translators for key topics or serious issues. Hosts should speak slowly, with careful enunciation, in a normal tone of voice. English is very idiomatic, so hosts should use simple vocabulary.
Medical Issues: Paraguayans will be carrying any needed medications and will have travel insurance to defray extraordinary medical expenses. In an emergency, hosts should take their guest to the nearest emergency facility and stay to help with forms, obtaining translation, etc. Hosts should notify the Paraguayan guide and area coordinator immediately.
Weather: Winter visitors will not be acclimated to the cold and may not have adequate clothing. If possible, advise them about types and layers of clothing to bring. They may need higher household temperatures and extra blankets. Encourage them to wear sweaters indoors and shoes with socks, not sandals. Hosts are advised to have extra jackets, hats, and gloves available. Hosts should be sure to reclaim any loaned items before their guests leave. Coordinators should make an effort to be sure clothing is returned to the correct owner, but are not responsible for lost items. Many visitors from the tropics don’t realize that although it’s warm inside homes and offices, but that they will be very cold when they go outside. It’s also confusing that sunny days are not necessarily warm in Kansas!
Advise visitors that Kansas weather tends to be more changeable. Especially, teach severe weather precautions that are appropriate to the season.
Bathroom information: Hosts should take extra care to explain how faucets work. The letters on faucets are reversed for meaning—“F” (frio) means cold and “C” (caliente) means hot in Paraguay. Our water tends to be hotter than theirs so hosts should encourage care with hot water.
Many Paraguayan sewer systems require toilet paper to be placed in a basket. Hosts should explain that paper can be placed in the toilet here.
Food: Visitors are here for a cultural exchange and to experience our way of life so hosts should feel free to prepare meals as they ordinarily do. However, hosts can ask about individual preferences. Typical Paraguayan food tends to be more “European” than stereotypically “Latin.” Ask or warn them when introducing spicy-hot or “picante” foods. Hosts can encourage as much self-sufficiency as they are comfortable with. Hosts should explain where snacks, drinks, etc. are. Female guests may like to participate in meal preparation, which hosts can permit to their comfort level. Restaurant meals could be problematic as they may want to treat or may expect that the host is paying. See Economics, below.
Phone calls: Calls are cheap in Paraguay but are expensive and unreliable from the USA. Hosts should encourage the use of a phone card.
Personal safety: Reasonable personal safety precautions from Paraguay are also applicable, especially in larger cities, in Kansas. In other words, keeping money safe in front pockets, purse carried close to body, etc. Otherwise, be prepared to coach about proper precautions for your environment.
Electricity:
The outlets in Paraguay require 220 voltage, which means that many items, especially hairdryers, will not work in Kansas. Many computers, digital camera chargers, and other similar electrical appliances are compatible with either 110 or 220 outlets. Appliances are usually labeled if they are compatible. Many newer chargers or power cords indicate that they can be used with either voltage, so read on the back of your chargers. If they read: Input 110V-240V all you need is a plug adapter for cameras, Blackberry, laptop or camcorder.
Luggage: Airline regulations are frequently changing. Check with the airline for the latest information. In the past the allowance to Paraguay is two pieces of checked luggage no more than 50 lbs (or 70 lbs, depending on the airline and whether connecting in Brazil) in weight and 62 linear inches in size. Carry-on is limited to one bag and a small “personal item”. Liquids and gels are not allowed in carry-on. Agents follow restrictions more carefully and charge excess baggage rates. Anything over 100 lbs, will not be taken. If allowed, it may cost $80 to $100 to take an additional bag or box. Bags should be weighed before the Paraguayans leave for the airport.
Gifts: Gifts are not necessary, but if given, should be simple and inexpensive. Think of things that are characteristic of Kansas, and will pack and travel well
Economics: Hosts should use care in taking guests to places with admission fees. In general hosts will pay for extra entrances, meals, etc. Also, be prepared to offer sensitive advice when shopping. Visitors may experience “sticker shock.” The meals and entertainment may cost 2 to 5 times more than they are used to. Selected items of clothing and toiletries may cost significantly less, especially on sale. Some will appreciate thrift or second-hand stores.
Tips for Kansas Hosts (pdf file)
