The CARE Youth Corps, now in its second year, is a program that gives high school students the opportunity to experience international development work.

The CARE Youth Corps 2001 group will visit Peru, where students will conduct fieldwork alongside community members who are beneficiaries of CARE programs. In the province of Cajamarca, the students will visit successful CARE projects in the areas of agriculture, water and sanitation, small business development and health care. Additionally, they will meet with government officials and local community leaders in Lima and Cajamarca; visit a local high school in Lima; and interact with youth groups in Cajamarca.

How were the members of CARE Youth Corps 2001 chosen?

Admission to the CARE Youth Corps program is open only to Chicago-area high school students. CARE Chicago staff and CYC volunteers selected a diverse group of 10 outstanding students from a pool of qualified applicants. Approximately 50,000 students from 40 high schools were given the opportunity to submit applications to the 2001 program. To become a member of the CARE Youth Corps participants must:

• Demonstrate CARE's core values: respect, integrity, commitment and excellence.
• Be a sophomore or junior in high school.
• Have proficiency in Spanish (at least four semesters or demonstrated speaking ability).
• Be willing to share their experience by representing CARE at their school and other CARE events throughout the Midwest region.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Participate in pre-trip training sessions.

Who are the CARE Youth Corps 2001 participants?

Elizabeth Addison		Rich East High School
Rebecca Banc		Maine South High School
Sylvia Gonzalez		Senn High School
Sophie Grimes		Francis W. Parker High School
Berenice Hernandez		Bowen High School
Isley Markman		The Latin School of Chicago
Tiana Pyer-Pereira		The Latin School of Chicago
Taylor Stern		Francis W. Parker High School
Jennifer Washington		The Latin School of Chicago
Anna Weinberg		Francis W. Parker High School

What is the purpose of CARE Youth Corps?

CARE seeks to educate younger audiences about international development work by providing an opportunity for high school students to experience life in the developing world first-hand. By working on a CARE project, participants also are able to help poor families working to overcome poverty and to impact a community. This program aims to broaden the students' understanding of CARE's work by exposing them to the challenges that communities face in the developing world, and by offering total immersion into the Peruvian culture by living and working side-by-side with project participants. Upon their return, students are asked to become ambassadors for CARE and share their experiences with their local communities.

How do the CARE Youth Corps members prepare for their trip to Peru?

Once selected, the students go through an intensive training program. This year, students spent two weekends in April and May at Camp Duncan in Ingleside, Illinois, where they participated in a series of team-building challenges. In addition, the students learned about the history and culture of Peru, development and international finance from a panel of experts in the various fields.

The training is designed to enhance the students' understanding of international affairs, to build leadership skills, to teach respect for cultural diversity, and to build knowledge about Peru and the communities in which they will be traveling. Throughout the process, the students also gain knowledge of development work and an understanding of the work CARE does in Peru and worldwide.

How do I learn more about the CARE Youth Corps?

For more information about the CARE Youth Corps program, please contact Lisa Smith at the Chicago CARE office: