Alex & Brian Polikowsky


My son will be 14 soon and this fall ( October) we will be applying for him to go on a year exchange student program in Japan. This is his dream.
He has never been to school and has always been an Unschooler. He wants the whole Japanese high school experience and to live in Japan with a family like a Japanese.

We are going to try to make his dream come through and the least expensive program is through the Rotary Club. It is also more competitive and the kid and family have to go through several interviews.  

They are looking for:


Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:

  • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community
  • Are flexible and willing to try new things
  • Are open to cultural differences
  • Can serve as an ambassador for their own country.
-------

Since the other programs are at least double the price , or triple, I think it maybe a good idea ask someone to coach my son and prepare him for the interviews.

Any ideas how to go about that? 
I pondered about posting this question as it is not about Unschooling . 
How to help an Unschooler for an interview like this?


Thanks in advance,

Alex Polikowsky
By the way Daniel started Japanese classes with a tutor. He really wanted them and he is absolutely loving them. The instructor thinks he is super motivated and smart and is learning fast. He was very impressed. He is doing them twice a week but he really wanted them everyday!



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Sylvia Woodman

If I recall correctly, Rotary is a professional development group for small businesses.  Do you know anyone in your community who is involved with Rotary and could give you more info on what they might be looking for?  Daniel is probably going to need letters of recommendation.  Would his tutor be willing to write something like that?  I think when he comes back he will be expected to do some public speaking about his trip, etc.

On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 1:46 PM, Alex & Brian Polikowsky polykowholsteins@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 


My son will be 14 soon and this fall ( October) we will be applying for him to go on a year exchange student program in Japan. This is his dream.
He has never been to school and has always been an Unschooler. He wants the whole Japanese high school experience and to live in Japan with a family like a Japanese.

We are going to try to make his dream come through and the least expensive program is through the Rotary Club. It is also more competitive and the kid and family have to go through several interviews.  

They are looking for:


Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:

  • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community
  • Are flexible and willing to try new things
  • Are open to cultural differences
  • Can serve as an ambassador for their own country.
-------

Since the other programs are at least double the price , or triple, I think it maybe a good idea ask someone to coach my son and prepare him for the interviews.

Any ideas how to go about that? 
I pondered about posting this question as it is not about Unschooling . 
How to help an Unschooler for an interview like this?


Thanks in advance,

Alex Polikowsky
By the way Daniel started Japanese classes with a tutor. He really wanted them and he is absolutely loving them. The instructor thinks he is super motivated and smart and is learning fast. He was very impressed. He is doing them twice a week but he really wanted them everyday!



Sent from my iPhone


Alex & Brian Polikowsky

The letters to be written for the application are from parents and himself.

They are looking for what I pasted bellow.
I am going to inquire if we know someone involved with the Rotary.

Alex

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On Jun 17, 2016, at 10:55 AM, Sylvia Woodman sylvia057@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:

 

If I recall correctly, Rotary is a professional development group for small businesses.  Do you know anyone in your community who is involved with Rotary and could give you more info on what they might be looking for?  Daniel is probably going to need letters of recommendation.  Would his tutor be willing to write something like that?  I think when he comes back he will be expected to do some public speaking about his trip, etc.

On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 1:46 PM, Alex & Brian Polikowsky polykowholsteins@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 


My son will be 14 soon and this fall ( October) we will be applying for him to go on a year exchange student program in Japan. This is his dream.
He has never been to school and has always been an Unschooler. He wants the whole Japanese high school experience and to live in Japan with a family like a Japanese.

We are going to try to make his dream come through and the least expensive program is through the Rotary Club. It is also more competitive and the kid and family have to go through several interviews.  

They are looking for:


Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:

  • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community
  • Are flexible and willing to try new things
  • Are open to cultural differences
  • Can serve as an ambassador for their own country.
-------

Since the other programs are at least double the price , or triple, I think it maybe a good idea ask someone to coach my son and prepare him for the interviews.

Any ideas how to go about that? 
I pondered about posting this question as it is not about Unschooling . 
How to help an Unschooler for an interview like this?


Thanks in advance,

Alex Polikowsky
By the way Daniel started Japanese classes with a tutor. He really wanted them and he is absolutely loving them. The instructor thinks he is super motivated and smart and is learning fast. He was very impressed. He is doing them twice a week but he really wanted them everyday!



Sent from my iPhone


Alex & Brian Polikowsky

Oh yeah , I think his tutor would be willing to write a letter. He is very excited about Daniel.
We are actually invited for some eats after his session today. Really nice people.

Alex

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 17, 2016, at 10:55 AM, Sylvia Woodman sylvia057@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:

 

If I recall correctly, Rotary is a professional development group for small businesses.  Do you know anyone in your community who is involved with Rotary and could give you more info on what they might be looking for?  Daniel is probably going to need letters of recommendation.  Would his tutor be willing to write something like that?  I think when he comes back he will be expected to do some public speaking about his trip, etc.

On Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 1:46 PM, Alex & Brian Polikowsky polykowholsteins@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 


My son will be 14 soon and this fall ( October) we will be applying for him to go on a year exchange student program in Japan. This is his dream.
He has never been to school and has always been an Unschooler. He wants the whole Japanese high school experience and to live in Japan with a family like a Japanese.

We are going to try to make his dream come through and the least expensive program is through the Rotary Club. It is also more competitive and the kid and family have to go through several interviews.  

They are looking for:


Exchanges are for people ages 15–19 who:

  • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community
  • Are flexible and willing to try new things
  • Are open to cultural differences
  • Can serve as an ambassador for their own country.
-------

Since the other programs are at least double the price , or triple, I think it maybe a good idea ask someone to coach my son and prepare him for the interviews.

Any ideas how to go about that? 
I pondered about posting this question as it is not about Unschooling . 
How to help an Unschooler for an interview like this?


Thanks in advance,

Alex Polikowsky
By the way Daniel started Japanese classes with a tutor. He really wanted them and he is absolutely loving them. The instructor thinks he is super motivated and smart and is learning fast. He was very impressed. He is doing them twice a week but he really wanted them everyday!



Sent from my iPhone


Sandra Dodd

-=-
> • Have demonstrated leadership in their school and community-=-

A couple of times when there were requirements for something about school performance or prominence, I wrote that he/she was the only one in her class, but that he was cooperative, industrious, attentive…. helpful with others in the family, at our homeschooling group, and at homeschooling conferences….. Stuff like that.

For insuring teenaged drivers who didn’t have report cards to show to get a discount, I talked to USAA directly and said there were no grades, but that as the only one in his class, he was first in his class. I asked if it was cheating to say they were qualifying students, since they were homeschooled, and the agent said it wasn’t at all.

When you get a draft, maybe we could help you word it.

But definitely encourage him to say he’s in the community with people of all ages, and in communication with homeschoolers or gamers or whatever (however that can be worded well) in several states (whatever’s right and true about that).

Sandra

Sarah Thompson

I won a Rotary scholarship once, and I won lots of small grants and scholarships when I was high school aged. I was very much schooled, of course, and a praise junkie, but what they were looking for in interviews was clear to me.

They wanted to see genuine creative thinking and intellectual curiosity *outside* of school. There are a million strong academic candidates, but there *aren't* a million candidates who can speak clearly and effectively with adults about a broad range of topics based on independent (non-school-directed) interests.

I remember that my dad was reading a really interesting book and we talked about it at dinner. So I talked about that. I talked about all my "dorky" stuff-how I watched tv shows about finance and investing and learned how to make architectural drawings for the cover of reports.

An unschooler is *perfectly* qualified for those types of conversations.

Sarah