In May, Jenn Carreto was awarded one of only four spots, for Americans, to attend Hostelling International's IOU Respect Program in Tunisia. Jenn, a Madison resident and AmeriCorps volunteer at Sennett Middle School will leave for Tunisia at the end of July

The IOU Respect exchange gives young adults an opportunity to learn first hand about the world and its people through positive and meaningful interaction with youth from different countries. Participants live, share and learn together in an effort to bridge cultural divides.

Geared towards youth ages 18 to 24, the exchange programs encourage participants of diverse backgrounds to share their homeland and cultures, speak of their hopes and expectations and work collaboratively on activities together, all while staying in youth hostels.

The principles of intercultural education, respect, tolerance and understanding are at the foundation of promoting a culture of peace. Participants engage in preparatory work in advance of the visit. At the end of the program, participants share their perspectives through presentations and an evaluation exercise.

After three years of service, Mike Krause is stepping down from the position as Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Hostelling International. His commitment to the Hostelling International mission, service to the Madison community, and superb management skills will be greatly missed.

During Mike's time as the General Manager of the Madison Hostel and the Executive Director of this statewide organization, Mike has made several significant improvements to the organization. He developed and implemented several cultural and educational travel programs in the Madison community, organized numerous fundraising events, and streamlined the infrastructure of the organization. He also led the Wisconsin Council through a new three year strategic plan, applied for and received several notable grants, and worked tirelessly to share the mission and history of Hostelling International with the Madison community.

The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Council of Hostelling International, as well as the staff and volunteers of the Madison Hostel, would like to take the time to thank Mike for his service to this organization and his commitment to promoting cultural understanding throughout Wisconsin. He will be greatly missed.

On May 5th the Madison Hostel formally kicked off its 10 year anniversary with a large-scale celebration at the High Noon Saloon.

Thanks to the generous donation of space by the High Noon Saloon and musicians Revolush & Corey Hart, the Madison Hostel demonstrated that its first 10 years in Madison is extremely important to the Madison community both culturally and economically.

Hostelling International would like to thank all those who showed up on May 5th and continually contribute to the Madison Hostel and our mission of promoting peace through educational travel.

In June the Madison Hostel hired two new General Managers. Michelle Vidovic and Kavita Sachdeva are co-managing the hostel's operations by splitting their schedules and responsibilities.

Both Michelle and Kavita bring a strong knowledge of working with non-profits, community outreach and staff supervision. The Madison Hostel will definitely benefit from their experience and vision.

Please feel free to stop by the hostel and chat with them about their travel experiences and goals for our ten-year-old facility.

Join an innovative team of professionals striving to spread the word about hostelling and cultural understanding throughout Wisconsin. What began as a grass-roots movement almost ten years ago in Madison (and over forty years ago in Wisconsin) is now a burgeoning non-profit organization making its mark as a community leader in cross-cultural programming and affordable downtown lodging.

Hostels provide friendly, inexpensive overnight accommodations for travelers and offer a warm atmosphere to connect with diverse people from around the world. The Madison Hostel has 31 beds and is situated in a turn-of-the-century Victorian house two blocks from the State Capitol; in addition, it is the gateway to our fine city for thousands of international and domestic travelers each year.

As the Wisconsin Council Board of Directors, our goals include: organizational growth, fund development, cross-cultural educational programming, and the continued expansion of community-oriented strategic partnerships.

This cozy hostel, with it's B&B atmosphere, is located on a working farm in Malabar Farm State Park in rural Ohio. Explore all that this state park has to offer - rolling hills and valleys - by foot or bicycle; and cross-country skis or snow-shoes in the winter time!

A 19-bed Hostel featuring simple dormitory-style accommodations located at Malabar Farm State Park in North Central Ohio, the Malabar Farm Hostel was once the home and farm of Louis Bromfield, the Pulitzer prize winning author, agriculturist and dedicated conservationist, the Hostel itself was built in 1919 from a mail order catalog kit. Hostelling International Malabar Farm was opened in 1976 and was the first U.S. hostel in a state park.

For more information and fees contact HI-Malabar Farm Hostel at (419) 892-2055; hi-malabarfarm@juno.com or write us at:
HI-Malabar Farm Hostel
3954 Bromfield Road
Lucas, OH 44843

Send your message of support to the United States Postal Service by clicking here or on the photo above. It's easy! You will be linked to the on-line petition and asked to fill in your name, State, and email address. You can even forward the petition on to friends that care about hostelling! A heavy volume of support can help make the Centennial of Hostelling commemorative stamp stand out among the many thousands of ideas received by the Advisory Committee each year. Act now!

"The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing."