U.S. youths, U.K. team up for
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For many students, education is
four years of college, but for 20 young
people, this is not the case. Operation
.Raleigh, a non-profit organization
which offers unique youth leadership
projects, is getting ready to send the
group to Australia. For them, edu
cation is more than exams and
grades; it's an international
experience.
"It's a major challenge," says Lisa
Long, a former "venturer" and
current Operation Raleigh counselor.
She went to Peru in 1985 where she
and other young people from 30
other countries pitched in and per
formed community service and scien
tific research.
We constucted cable extension
bridges for a small village near a .
jungle," Long says. The group also
built 80 water pumps, a playground
for the school and other surrounding
villages and performed medical
research. They were responsible for
teaching preventative medicine and
basic hygiene. Long says that the
experience was very rewarding.
Operation Raleigh was formed at
the suggestion of Prince Charles after
he and an international team of
experts organized and led a series of
expeditions worldwide involving
over 400 young people from 27
different countries. The operation
now offers places for 4,000 people
from around the world in a system
of 40 different kinds of expeditions
for a four-year time period that
started in 1984. It operates under the
motto "Science, Service and
Adventure."
What exactly is. Operation
Raleigh? The organization accepts
applicants from all over the world.
To be accepted, the applicants must
be between the ages of 17-24, able
to speak English and swim 500 yards.
Over the four-year period, the organ
ization will select 1,500 applicants
from the United States, 1,500 from
the United Kingdom and 1,000 from
other countries. Long says that the
organization does not look for
specific skills, yet the applicant must
have a good attitude, humor and high
levels of compatibility. Those that do
especially well are those who are wett
rounded and exhibit leadership
qualities.
After an applicant is selected, he
or she will participate in a special
selection weekend. During this time,
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the selection committee will try to get
to know each participant on an
individual basis by asking questions
and by presenting tasks that the
applicant must participate in. Long
explains that these tasks will often
involve group camping, specific skills
and practicums.
"It's a cross between Outward
Bound and the Peace Corps," she
says.
If the applicant is invited to
continue, he or she must raise $5,500
to cover tuition and personal
expenses for the duration of the
three-month expedition. This pres
ents a major challenge, for each
participant has only three to six
months in which to raise the money.
Great
Selection
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Operation Raleigh offers some assist
ance. This year it has sponsored a
240 mile bike-a-thon and a biathon
in which the participants asked for
sponsors to support them in a swim
run race. One venturer raised $1,000.
Others find sponsors for other things,
like swim-a-thons or canoe-a-thons.
They accept gifts, use their own
savings or get help from a scholarship
fund started by Operation Raleigh.
Area merchants have helped some
venturers by giving them discounts
on their gear. Thelma Mielenz, a
biology major at UNC, is one of the
group going to Australia on July 24
who has received such help. She got
interested in Operation Raleigh
because she always liked the out-
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Operation Raleigh
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doors and has never been overseas. . or call them at 733-5255. The Oper
'I felt like I wanted to experience
another country other than by being
a tourist," she says. With Operation
Raleigh, she is looking forward to
having an international experience by
not only working in another country
but by working with people from
around the world.
Operation Raleigh offers many
different types of expeditions, on
land and by sea. Mielenz hopes to
be involved in an expedition named
Lizard Island. This project involves
constucting underwater trails around
and in the Great Barrier Reef.
Operation Raleigh is currently
accepting applications for expedi
tions and they say that right now is
a good time to apply because a
selection weekend is coming up in
September. These weekends are
given only twice a year. Those who
apply now can be on their way to
another country by December. For
an application, write to National
Selection, Operation Raleigh USA,
109 E. Jones St., Raleigh, N.C.,
27611. For more information, you
can write them at the above address
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or call them at 733-5255. The Oner-
ation Raleigh Scholarship Fund is
aiso accepting donations.
For all those who are looking for
an experience which combines the
educational, physical and interna
tional, Operation Raleigh offers, an
exciting alternative to the college
campus.
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