A COMMENTARY BY SENATOR TED STEVENS

The Rose Urban-Rural Exchange Program was created in 1999 in an effort to give urban school children the opportunity to travel to rural Alaska to better understand the culture and way of life of children in the state's small communities. It also allows students from our State's rural areas to spend time in some of our larger communities. The program is named for my former Chief of Staff, Mitch Rose, who had the opportunity to spend time in a Native village when he was growing up.

I believe many of the gaps in understanding between urban and rural Alaskans can be bridged early by bringing children together. The Rose Exchange Program is designed to give youngsters in urban areas a chance to experience life in small, predominantly Native communities. Learning about Native traditions, and such everyday concerns as subsistence or honeybuckets are among the lessons young Alaskans visiting villages can take back with them. At the same time under the program, children from rural areas have the opportunity to experience the different pace and concerns of city life.

The young Alaskans participate in school, family life, and community activities during the exchange. In the first rounds of exchanges we've already seen accounts from students telling how their lives and perceptions have been transformed by experiencing a different lifestyle. It is my hope that through the program our young leaders of tomorrow from our villages and our cities will be able to share their concerns and develop understanding and insight into how best to work together for the future of our State.