Maine families have the unique opportunity to host Japanese students for a month-long international exchange this summer. Families are needed to host Japanese exchange students, ages 12 to 18, for four weeks as part of a two-way exchange program sponsored by the Maine 4-H program. The Japanese youth will stay with their American host families from mid-July to mid-August.
The exchange is open to families living in Maine with children close in age to the Japanese participants. Families without children in this age range will be considered as hosts for adult chaperones from Japan. You don’t need to be involved in 4-H to host – you just need a willingness to share your home and your world.
There is no need to know Japanese. The students have all studied English and are anxious to use it.
“The program gives host families a chance to share their culture, friendship, and family life with an exchange student and at the same time learn about Japanese life,” said Jill Coffren, state coordinator. “The home stays only last a month during summer vacation, but the effects last a lifetime.”
Host family applications are available by contacting the York Cooperative Extension Office. For more information, e-mail Coffren directly at jcoffren@umext.maine.edu . The application process includes a background check and home visit by a program representative. In addition to the summer exchange there are high school students that need host families for an entire school year.
The 4-H International Exchange Program is one of the largest exchange programs involving North American and Japanese youth in the world. Since it began in 1972, some 39,000 students have stayed with families in 39 states, including Maine, and more than 6,300 American students have made reciprocal visits to Japan.
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