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Homecoming Orientation and Reconnection Events

Important Note: Please be advised that if you are planning on organizing a Homecoming Orientation an/or Reconnection Event in your field you must contact your District's Coordinator of Recruitement and Development. He/she will assist you in planning your event by providing all necessary session materials, alumni mailing lists, volunteers and other information necessary to have a successful event.

Objectives:

• Give Alumni a chance to share their cross-cultural experience with empathetic people.
• Aid alumni in organizing their thoughts on how to relate their overseas experiences to family, friends, and others.
• Provide students with the opportunities to join a local alumni group and stay involved with YFU.
• To build a support system among people who've had similar experiences

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Description:
Contrary to popular belief, a trip abroad constitutes not one experience, but many. While travelers concentrate on preparation for living in a foreign country, they rarely consider the experience of coming home. Upon returning home from their time abroad, exchange students will discover that people really do not want to listen to their stories forever, and their family and old friends do not understand. Difficulties readjusting to one's home culture have been recognized by businesses, governments, the Peace Corps, development agencies and exchange programs for some time. This adjustment is referred to as reverse culture shock.

Homecoming Orientations and Reconnection Events are specifically designed for alumni after they have been back in their home country. Some alumni may believe that there is no need for them to attend a Homecoming Orientation, but they can and do benefit from attending one.

What are Homecoming and Reconnection Events?
Homecoming Orientation is for alumni who returned from their exchange within one year. Homecoming orientations consist of interactive activities that help the alumni assess the impact the exchange on their life, impact on fitting back into their home culture and impact on future plans. One of the most satisfying outcomes is usually being able to discuss these topics with other people who have had common experiences. This orientation is called many different things when publicized to alumni (Re-Entry Reunion, Homecoming Reunion, Alumni Weekend, etc.). It can be a one-day or overnight event and is usually held in late summer or early fall.

A Reconnection Event is for alumni who have returned from their exchange more than one year ago. A Reconnection Event can include interactive activities that are like the homecoming orientation but designed for older alumni. This event could also focus on assisting alumni in applying their exchange to college, career and volunteering. It can be a one-day or overnight event. The objective is to re-involve YFU alumni in the organization in many different areas - volunteer, social or financial. Inviting "other alumni" to the Homecoming Orientations is a simple expansion, which is facilitated by grant funds. In the few regions that have already begun to do so, it has been extremely beneficial to have alumni of different age groups present. Also, most alumni have found that such orientations are crucial to their reconnection with their home culture, regardless of when they returned. Many alumni have gone for years having difficulty feeling connected to their home culture, but never understood why until they attended such a gathering.

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Timing/Agendas:
Depending on your resources and the event you ultimately plan, the timing and agendas will vary. Past Homecoming Orientations and/or Reconnection Events have varied from 5-6 hours to an overnight. The coordinator will need to decide this in conjunction with the District's Coordinator of Recruitement and Development and Field Director.

Sample agendas

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Who's Invited/Special Concerns:
YFU encourages all alumni, no matter if they've recently returned or have been home for years, to attend at least one. Because of their experience, alumni are uniquely qualified to facilitate these sessions.

Since some alumni (older and younger) don't feel they need to attend, it is helpful to have some other draw to your event, for example, an overnight camping trip, volunteer training, presentation from the Peace Corps, Study abroad programs, International Careers, a picnic, a dinner out after the sessions.

Be aware of your budget. Limited funding is available and may be applied for at least once a year. Check with your NAC Alumni Communication contact for the next application deadline. The amount of your grant will depend on the number of events planned nationwide.

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Materials/Information Needed:

At minimum:

*Contact your District's Coordinator of Recruitement and Development to get the materials, etc. that you may need.

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Site/ Accommodations/ Travel:
Site costs should be free or minimal cost. If it is an overnight event, which goes above and beyond funds allocated to you, then the difference should be included in the event fee.

Encourage carpooling. Then alumni who live near each other can make new friends.

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Costs Involved:

• Mailing (if possible try to piggy back on your Field Director’s or Outreach Coordinator’s mailings to alumni)
• Site, snacks or lunch.

There is limited funding available that can be applied for at least once a year. Your grant award will depend on the type of event you are having and is dependent on the number of events held nationwide. The allocated funds will require a set budget for your event and an event report (including a final budget, expense reports, your agenda, evaluations, etc.) following the event. If your costs go above and beyond the allocated funds available to your field, all other costs should be covered in a participant event fee. This fee should be collected prior to the event with an RSVP.

The charges/attendance fee will depend on the final event. You may want to consider a reduced fee for new alumni (to account for funding). Another idea is to ask for a donation or figure out what the event will cost per person. All money should be collected prior to the event.

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Spreading the Word:

Announce on alumni email group (yfu-alums@yahoogroups.com) and your local alumni email group/list.

Post to web site (submit to alumweb@yfu.org)

Send out a flyer/invitation/welcome home letter. If possible, piggyback on an existing alumni mailing from your Field Director or Outreach Coordinator.

You might also want to consider a phone tree to personally invite alumni. The personal touch can be very effective.

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Tasks/ Delegation:

You will need an overall coordinator and some sort of committee to assist in the planning of orientation.

You will also need session leaders to lead the sessions the day of. If you have any panel discussions/presentations there should be someone responsible for finding the participants and making sure they are there the day of.

If you play any games you should have a game leader/coordinator.

The overall coordinator should make sure things are happening, the announcements have been mailed, responsible for the RSVPs, $$ and filling out the expense reports.

One person should NOT try to do the whole thing. People want to help. Keep the NAC Alumni Communication contact and your Field Director updated. They are your best resources.

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Implementation Steps: Check with your NAC Alumni Communication contact to find out when you can apply for funding. Follow the appropriate steps to receive grant money for your event. Once your grant has been awarded, you may apply for an advance. If you know you’ll need an advance, do it as soon as possible. It does take YFU time to process your request.

3-4 months out: Find a committee to work on this. Pick a date/location for your orientation. Decide who you want to invite (how many years back) and assign people to different tasks.

2-3 months: Work on agenda, welcome letter/flyer, secure site, depending on events if you have any special speakers/panels, etc. The coordinator of these events should be confirming their participation. Decide who is doing the mailing. If needed, get any mailing lists from the Alumni Affairs Office or ask your NAC Alumni Communication contact.

1-2 months: Flyers/welcome letters should be mailed. Post announcements to the alumni web site and email groups. Firm up agenda and get status on Homecoming and/or Reconnection sessions from the facilitator. If you are offering food, decide how you will do this, etc.

1-2 weeks out: Confirm site. Take care of any last minute details. Do a phone tree, if necessary. If possible, one person should tour the site before hand as well.

Day of: Make sure lunch/snacks are picked up or delivered. Arrive early, people always arrive early and you will want to be set up.

HAVE FUN!

After:

• Clean up the site.
• Send Thank You cards to all people and organizations who made this event possible.
• Make sure you get a list of those who attended (phone, email, address).
• Complete your event-reporting packet with one month of your event. All reports must be accurate and submitted on time to be reimbursed for your expenses.

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Let us know if there's a YFU alumni event happening near you!