Ten Romanian students were given the opportunity to experience the Keokuk County way of life.

After COVID postponed their trip in 2020, and again at the beginning of this year, the students were able to come to the United States for a week through the US Department of State’s American Leadership Exchange program (ALEX). The program is carried out over a two-week period. The Romanian students spent their first week in Washington DC, where they saw the Capitol, memorials, and attended leadership conferences.

The following week, they traveled to Keota, where they spent time with their host families in the evenings and participated in a variety of activities during the day. During their week in Keota, the students had the opportunity to visit a pumpkin patch, attend Keota High School, where they gave a cultural sharing presentation, participate in a bake sale, and engage in global youth service training that involves developing projects and solutions to issues facing their country, as well as improving relationships between their home country and the United States. The students also met with Senator Kevin Kinney at the State Capitol in Des Moines.

The coordination between the students and the activities they get to participate in is largely due to the assistance of local coordinator Holly Beinhart. Beinhart is responsible for finding a diverse range of host families for these students, as well as ensuring their transportation.

Contact Holly Beinhart at 641-295-5003 for more information about the organization, the students, and other topics. Information is also available on their website worldlinkinc.org and on their Facebook page World Link Inc