Question: What happens when the 10-day program in the US ends and participants return home?

Answer: This program does not end upon a delegate's return home. The Open World Program continues contact with its alumni after their trip ends. Seminars and conferences for alumni are conducted in different cities. Information about these events can be found at the Calendar of Events web page. Also, an informational bulletin for alumni is published quarterly. This bulletin is distributed in electronic and printed format.

Question: Who are the Open World delegates? Who hosts the participants in the USA?

Answer: The Open World Program is designed for community and political leaders of all levels - from national to regional to local. Members of the Russian Parliament, mayors, judges, journalists, mass media representatives, directors of NGOs, educators, representatives of political parties and movements have all participated in the program. The average age of program participants is 38 years old; over 40 percent are women. Participants are hosted by organizations -- mostly non-governmental and non-profit organizations -- that have a long experience in conducting international exchange programs with Russia. In most cases these hosting organizations are responsible for placing Russian participants in American host families and arranging both a cultural and professional program for them. Delegations of parliament members are usually hosted by U.S. senators and congressmen as well as by state governors.

Question: Can I be nominated for a second time but for a different topic?

Answer: Usually no, you can't. The Open World program is designed for those who have never been to the USA before, but there are exceptions.

Question: Can I, as an Open World alumnus, receive a small grant from the Open World Leadership Center to implement my project?

Answer: The Open World program currently does not issue mini-grants to alumni.

Question: Why do I need to register on the site? What will this information be used for?

Answer: This registration gives you additional opportunities that are not available for anonymous users, such as posting a personal photo or message, participating in discussion groups, etc. This information is stored in Open World Program database and will not be distributed to third parties.

Question: What are the Regional Alumni Coordinator's responsibilities?

Answer: The main purpose of Open World Regional Alumni Coordinators is to organize and conduct regional program events. More details about the Open World Alumni Outreach Program can be found athttp://www.openworld.gov under the section "About program."

Question: Can I become a Regional Alumni Coordinator and, if so, how?

Answer: Unfortunately, at the moment these positions are all filled. Persons interested in serving as contacts in cities not hosting Regional Alumni Coordinators should contact the Open World Alumni Outreach Program manager Natalia Padchina at npadchina@actr.ru

Question: How were the areas for Regional Alumni Coordinators chosen? Can we expect Regional Alumni Coordinators in our city, too?

Answer: Administrators of the Open World Alumni Outreach Program chose the regions by geographical position and number of alumni in every region. There are currently 24 RACs.

Question: How can I communicate with my host family if I don't know the language?

Answer: The Open World website helps solve this problem. At http://www.openworld.gov, there are forums for just this purpose. From the main menu, click on "Online Forums." Find the forum entitled "Alumni and Host Families / Выпускники и принимающие семьи", which is designed for alumni who want to communicate with host families. Your message posted on the forum will be translated by staff. Your host family will be able to read it, answer it, and have their answer translated.

Question: What new developments is the Open World Program offering in 2006?

Answer: Open World will continue to conduct exchanges with Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and Uzbekistan. Open World Alumni Outreach Program will continue to provide alumni an opportunity to participate in regional alumni conferences and video conferences; as well as to submit articles for the quarterly Open World Alumni Bulletin and the Open World Website. The website http://www.openworld.gov) provides opportunities for alumni not only to get updated information about the Open World Program and the Open World Alumni Outreach Program, but also to communicate with other Open World alumni as well as with American colleagues using the translation system of online forums.