79. Planning Youth Events

I helped implement a "Cultural Tour of Moldova" ran out of the Jewish Center in Chisinau. The actual logistics and visits were already planned; I just helped with the youth programming when not touring a sites. There is a volunteer who works with the Jewish Center but was unable to go on this tour and they needed another male chaperone so I was asked. I was very excited for this opportunity because it would be a great way to see a lot of Moldova in a short time and I enjoy and have been doing youth programming for most of my life with 4-H and FarmHouse Fraternity.

It was cool to hear some of the ideas and thoughts the planning committee had for this cultural tour. But one thing that was interesting/different was the fact that they have to deal with/address alcohol and how it will be treated/used during this trip. I did not even think it would be an issue because the students are 14 to 18 years old but in Moldova alcohol is treated differently that I am use to. Moldavians are brought up around alcohol and it is not uncommon for the whole family to have a glass of wine with every dinner. In Moldova, I believe technically, you have to be 18 to purchase alcohol but I do not believe it is always enforced plus many families make their own wine, so it would be easy to or possibly suggested by the parents that the students take some wine on the trip.

In the US, students do bring alcohol to events and such, but I think it is much less of an issue because alcohol is less accessible in the USA than it is in Moldova. So, while helping them to plan this event, I had to change my mindset like I was planning an event for college students, rather than high school students.