An outline of Project Harmony's Community Connections programs is provided below with some general information about each component of the program. All participants on upcoming programs will find this information particularly helpful before departure. Specific information about 1999-2000 Programs is also available on this web site.

ARRIVAL

Project Harmony staff will meet participants upon arrival at the airport. Some groups are met in New York City and travel by van to the hosting location, while others fly directly to the city where they will be hosted. You should check your tickets to find out whether or not you will need to get to a connecting flight in New York. Project Harmony provides recruiting organizations with your flight information along with information about where Project Harmony staff will pick you up. You should ask your recruiting organization for this information or contact Project Harmony directly (contact information is on the last page). You are responsible for making all transfers in the airports that you stop at en route. Upon arrival, you will be brought to a hotel where Project Harmony staff will stay with you for a two or three-day orientation. For more detailed information on Customs and Immigration, see the section near the end of the Welcome Packet entitled "Entering the United States."

ORIENTATION

The orientation program lasts for two or three days, depending on where you are hosted. This part of the program will help you to get acquainted with the itinerary, with America, and with each other. During the orientation, you will all stay together in a hotel. At the end of the orientation, you will move to your host families.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS

There are two basic types of programs that Project Harmony hosts: business and professional. The decision regarding which type of program you participate in is made in your home country. You will not be given a choice of professional or business programs upon your arrival in the US.

Professional program themes range widely - from education to business support to public administration. During a professional program, the group will stay together for the majority of their stay. English is not a requirement, as professional interpreters are present at all meetings. Occasionally, there are one or two days when the group is divided into two or three smaller groups based on specific interests, but this again depends largely on the theme and the hosting community.

Business programs are much more individualized and last from five to six weeks. Participants will go to work every day at host businesses and get practical experience in how American business works. Business internships are complimented by weekly seminars on business-related topics and visits to businesses, government offices, or professional organizations.

HOST FAMILY STAYS

All participants will live in host families during their stay in the United States. Some participants may stay with a host family for the entire length of the program, while others may move to a new host family every week. In some cases, two participants will live in a host family together. Most of Project Harmony's host families have hosted NIS participants in the past, however, very few of them speak any language other than English. Project Harmony staff tries to facilitate communication between host families and participants as much as possible. This may include daily meetings with all host families, participants, and interpreters, Russian-speaking staff or community members having dinner at a home to help translate, or by interpreters being available at certain times to help participants and host families communicate.

While the language barrier is always one of the most difficult parts of these programs for non English-speakers, all participants and host families have ended up finding interesting and often amusing ways of communicating with each other. Almost every participant has remarked that the homestay experience is one of the most rewarding parts of the program.

All host families are volunteers and do not receive any kind of financial reimbursement or tax benefits for hosting.

MID-PROGRAM MEETING

Every program will have a mid-program session that gives participants an opportunity to spend time together and share stories. There also may be professional activities or visits scheduled during this time. The mid-program session is an opportunity for Project Harmony staff to check in with you and see how things are going. If there are any problems or changes that need to be made, this is a good time to discuss them with program staff. Project Harmony staff will always stay flexible and will try to make changes in the program if necessary, but cannot always promise that every change will be possible.

WEEKENDS

For both programs, weekends are usually free time to spend with your host families. Often, your host families will make arrangements to take you to places of interest. Occasionally, Project Harmony will arrange some informal, fun activities for participants on the weekend. You will probably discover that, because of your busy schedule, the weekend will be the best opportunity to spend time with your host family.

DEBRIEFING

At the end of the program, there will be a one-day debriefing session, where you will be given an opportunity to evaluate the program. You will also be expected to review what you have learned and plan a project that will utilize that new knowledge when you have returned home. During the program, you should be thinking about your plans for the future and how you can use the program to help you fulfill those plans. The final day (or days, depending on the program) of your stay will be time for you to relax and prepare for your return home. You will be staying in a hotel, not with your host families.