{"id":249,"date":"2013-05-15T18:49:26","date_gmt":"2013-05-15T18:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.wordpress.com\/?page_id=249"},"modified":"2019-01-28T21:16:42","modified_gmt":"2019-01-28T21:16:42","slug":"student-exchange-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/?page_id=249","title":{"rendered":"Student Exchange Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"249\" class=\"elementor elementor-249 elementor-bc-flex-widget\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-275f59f2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"275f59f2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1a66d4f1\" data-id=\"1a66d4f1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b70be5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b70be5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 02-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<div><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">The nonprofit San Carlos Sister City Association (SCSCA) offers a nine day home stay exchange experience in early July with a Japanese family in Omura where one or more family members speak English, some better than others. \u00a0Students live as an extended family member and participate in normal family activities.A home hosted international exchange is a completely unique experience for most young people and being exposed to new foods and a different style of family life is\u00a0a cultural awakening which makes a lasting impression opens the mind, transforms perceptions and develops new thinking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Most weekdays bilingual Omura City employees take our students on interesting day trips to historical sites or cultural activities.\u00a0\u00a0Being safe and secure in the care of adults provides peace of mind for students and parents alike.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">SCSCA makes no charge for this exchange program but parents of our exchange students pay the cost of air travel, exchange students normally take a gift for their host family and must have their own spending money ($250 &#8211; $300 recommended).\u00a0\u00a0All students depart and travel just after July 4th and well ahead of time parents are informed of the flight on which\u00a0 to book their student&#8217;s ticket.\u00a0 In the first Japanese arrival city (oftenTokyo) airline personnel accompany our students to the connecting flight to Fukuoka where they are met by bilingual Omura City employees and taken to their host family. The process is reversed on the return but it is possible for a student to leave the group to join a family trip at the end of the program.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Candidates must be age 15 &#8211; 18 by July 1st, live between Menlo Park and Millbrae (inclusive) and be mature enough to both benefit from and contribute to the exchange experience.\u00a0 The straightforward application is due by March 31st and students submit an additional single page essay on why they wish to go, what they anticipate getting from the experience and what they feel they would contribute. \u00a0Every applicant has a personal interview (moms and dads welcome) between April 1st and 10th andselectees are advised by April 15th. In the next 30 days students attend a required cultural orientation session (moms and dads welcome) on a date to be announced.Students depart just after July 4th and well ahead of time their parents are advised of the flight for which to buy their student\u2019s ticket.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Both students and parents sign documents covering student deportment, medical aid permission and a liability release. \u00a0As we require original signatures so the original documents, not copies, are hand delivered or mailed (NOT EMAILED). \u00a0followed by a required cultural orientation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Each family is given contact information for other students making the trip as well as the contact information of the Japanese host family and the City of Omura International Department. \u00a0We encourage communication between the families, parents and students, who often\u00a0exchange emails, pictures and even letters prior to meeting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">In reciprocity, we require that each family sending a student to Japan host an English speaking Japanese student for nine days during \u00a0the first two weeks of August and there must be an adult, age 21 or older, in the household when the exchange student is there. We try to match the gender, unless the parents have no preference, as most families and most students prefer this. \u00a0It is not necessary for the Japanese exchange students to have their own bedroom unless the gender is different but it is necessary that the exchange student have his\/her own bed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">As part of the experience, we ask that host families eat as you normally do so there is no expectation to provide special meals but if there is an allergy or medical reason noted on the student&#8217;s application we so advise the host parents.\u00a0\u00a0In addition to providing accommodation and meals, hosting means making the student a temporary family member for all usual activities.\u00a0\u00a0We believe that spending the great majority of the time with the family is what the experience should be about and we ask that the Japanese student be included in whatever you normally do. \u00a0The single exception may be a religious service where the student should have the choice to participate or not. Christians are a very small minority in Japan but the exchange student may be curious and should be offered the opportunity to go if this is part of your family routine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Hosts receive an advance copy of the Japanese student&#8217;s information and a photo. Based on past experience, the Japanese host families with whom our students stay usually send their son or daughter so the students often know each other and have spent time together. \u00a0Notwithstanding, we encourage communication between parents.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">Several day trips are conducted by SCSCA on weekdays over the hosting period with dates advised well ahead of time. \u00a0Some are for most of the day and some are less. The host family is responsible for drop off and pick up their student, usually at San Carlos Library parking lot. \u00a0Students are then transported by a member of the Association for the day or activity. \u00a0In past years host family sons or daughters who are licensed drivers have sometimes done the drop off and pickup rather than mom or dad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">As we provide the contact information for each host family to all the host families, each year the parents have talked among themselves and shared students for a day or activity which has worked quite well. \u00a0Sometimes the Japanese student simply accompany their host brother or sister as teens the world over seem to like spending time with their own age group.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;\">If you have questions, want more information or would like to receive an application please contact yoko.sase@gmail.com<\/span><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The nonprofit San Carlos Sister City Association (SCSCA) offers a nine day home stay exchange experience in early July with a Japanese family in Omura where one or more family members speak English, some better than others. \u00a0Students live as <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/?page_id=249\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"two_page_speed":null,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-249","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":961,"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/249\/revisions\/961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sancarlossistercity.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}