Amish: World's Squarest Teenagers head to Channel 4

With rare access to the notoriously private Amish community, Channel 4's Amish: World's Squarest Teenagers follows a group of five Amish young people leaving their closed communities in mid-west USA for the very first time: to travel to Britain on an extraordinary cultural exchange.

> Read our interview with Leah Miller from the show.

> Read our review of the show.

The Amish live strictly sheltered lives based on their belief that living simply brings them closer to God. They have their own language and rules and are rarely educated past primary level. They often don't use electricity or cars, they don't wear zips or sleeveless clothes, nor do they drink or smoke. Despite this strict lifestyle, Amish parents often allow their teenage children to experience the outside world, through a rite of passage called "Rumspringa", which literally means "running around". It usually begins at the age of 16 and lasts as long as the teenager needs, before full baptism into the Amish Church.

Watch a clip from the show...

During their stay in Britain, the five Amish youngsters live with groups ranging from London street dancers to a castle-dwelling family in Scotland. They hope to share their values with their British counterparts as well as learning and understanding what British teenage life is all about.

How will the Amish respond to what has previously been forbidden? After they get their first glimpse of the ocean, taste alcohol, dance to rock music and eat fast food, will they hold onto their own God-fearing values and simple lives? And how will they feel when a month later they return home?

Amish: World's Squarest Teenagers airs on Sundays at 8pm from 25th July 2010 on on Channel 4.