Our Local Youth Navigating Nations (L.Y.N.N.) Initiative is designed to open the mind of youth to discover a broader perspective on the world, themselves and, new passions.
Developing more culturally and socially aware youth, L.Y.N.N. also desires to take small steps toward bridging the gap between people of different metropolises and making the planet a healthier, more serene place.
Since 2019, the L.Y.N.N. initiative has provided youth with stimulating, enjoyable, and educational experience they will carry with them throughout their lives. Our travel opportunities provide an exclusive way for youth to explore the world, open their mind to new cultures, and confront how they present themselves to the world.
The program is a tremendous amount of fun! Participants will be challenged to think critically about themselves and their perspective of the world. In return, they are greatly compensated by the experiences gained from this program.
Because of the nature of this initiative, it is important that we try to give future applicants a clear understanding of what to expect from the L.Y.N.N. Initiative experience. We outline here some of the most important aspects of the program:
Leaving Your Comfort Zone
Participants must be willing to endure the difficulties of navigating in the various types of transportation provided by the town. Participants also must accept the uncertainty of stepping outside of their physical, psychological, and emotional comfort zone. They will encounter different customs and unfamiliar situations, forcing them to re-evaluate what is right, wrong, or normal, and who they are in relation to these norms.
Standards of physical comfort will be normal to what most participants are accustomed to. Immense individual flexibility and an attitude of “going with the flow” are necessary for daily success!
Living and Traveling
Our goal is to immerse youth in the local societies. In that essence, participants travel, live, and eat in a manner similar to that of the majority of people in the cities which they are visiting.
We welcome a resilient style of travel. Participants carry all their own belongings in a small carry-on and backpack. Lots of public transport is used— from bus to train to boat to Uber/Lyft. Travel is rarely first class. Throughout the trip, applicants have the chance to acquire the skills necessary to be budget travelers.
Accommodations
On average, participants live in Airbnb’s or host families for most of the trip. Conditions in some home stays are very simple, especially Airbnb’s, there may not be any Wifi or cable TV. There are also some more comfortable city home stays. Participants are expected to follow the daily rhythm of the household and to help the family with meal preparation, chores, and even community service.
Participants will mostly eat typical local cuisine. The local food might be different than what they are used to. For many participants, food is one of the biggest challenges to stepping outside of their comfort zone.
Community Service Work
L.Y.N.N. works with local leaders to develop viable, community-driven, volunteer ventures. On average, 20 percent of a participant’s time in the program will be spent volunteering on projects such as: helping to feed the homeless, reading to younger kids, and helping with a community garden.
While you will be doing some light, needed things for people in several communities, the goal of the program remains on cultural exchange and education. Our goal is that participants make strides towards becoming thoughtful and informed global citizens in a time when cross-cultural skills are becoming ever more important.
Educational Program
The main focus of L.Y.N.N. is on learning. This opportunity is best suited to those who are intensely curious about the world around them and who they are in relation to the world. With an age range of 8 to 17, this is ideal for those in middle and high school.
Most of the learning will come directly from the experiences of day-to-day living and travel as outlined in the tentative itineraries. Team members also engage in individual and group reflection, reading, culture and language workshops, and attend some talks from guest lecturers. This academic component enhances the experiential education level of learner to their highest potential.
Participants in L.Y.N.N. must be willing to fully invest themselves in being an active and cooperative members of a team of up to fourteen people between the ages of 8 and 17.
The team dynamic is a core element of the L.Y.N.N. experience. While providing one of the most fun, fulfilling, supportive, and educational aspects of the program, it can also create the grounds for some of its major challenges. With the support and mentorship of experienced leaders, participants learn to live, travel, and grow together, to engage in thoughtful reflection and dialogue, and to build a group culture of inclusivity, tolerance, and respect. Many participants make friendships that last a lifetime!
2023 Trip
The next program that L.Y.N.N. will send out will be Seattle, Washington.
Thereafter, L.Y.N.N. will continue to run single-city programs of approximately one week in length twice every year: from late May to late August, and from late March to late May.
SEATTLE
More information will be available soon. Please contact us at info@themurphyhouse.org if you have any questions.
The Murphy House 