February 8, 2019 – Attention Midland-area high school students: a life-changing opportunity is awaiting you! Applications are now being accepted for the Midland-Handa Sister City Student Exchange program.
Three Midland students will be selected to travel to Midland’s Sister City of Handa, Japan for a three-week experience from late July through mid-August 2019. During their stay, students will live with three Japanese host families to experience day-to-day life in Handa, visit local and regional government and places of interest, and participate in both group and family-centric activities. Airfare and travel accommodations will be provided for the selected applicants.
To be considered, candidates must live and/or attend a school system in the City of Midland and be entering their junior or senior year of high school in the fall of 2019. Students must have a grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale and should have a genuine interest in Japanese culture, international travel, and new experiences. Fluency in speaking Japanese is not required.
Interested students are invited to apply at www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/studentexchange. All application information, including three references, must be received by Sunday, March 31, 2019. The Sister City Committee will interview candidates in mid-April with final selections being made shortly thereafter.
Since the Midland-Handa Sister City Student Exchange began in 1982, more than 85 students from both communities have traveled to Japan and the United States to learn about each other’s culture, experience new ways of life, and better understand the connection between the two Sister Cities. Midland students travel to Handa in odd numbered years and, during even numbered years, Handa students are hosted by Midland residents.
For more information on the Sister City Student Exchange, visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/sistercity and click on “Student Exchange