Faraway Japan becomes much closer when teens have a chance to experience it for themselves through an exchange program managed by the City of Santa Cruz.
An appointed Sister Cities Committee currently prepares to send a new delegation of students to Shingu, Japan in the spring of 2016. Application deadline for this trip is October 16, 2015.
Exchange students get a chance to immerse themselves in everyday Japanese life and culture when they participate in this ten-day visit.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange in the guided environment,” said Shingu Committee Chair Gayle McCallum. “Japan is not just Tokyo and neon lights, it’s more than that.”
Shingu is a coastal city, like Santa Cruz. The similarities may just stop there. One of the things McCallum experienced on her last trip was that Shingu people eat way more fish than Americans; they even have it for breakfast.
An exciting feature of the Shingu area for McCallum is that it’s rich in geothermal activity. One of the side trips that students get to experience is a visit to Japanese hot springs. “The whole Japanese bath experience is one of my favorite things,” she said. “They are a busy culture, but they really know how to take their moments to relax.”
The fish eating and the hot springs are simply part of the experience. Living with a Japanese family is where the real enrichment begins. Both of McCallum’s daughters traveled to Shingu through the program, and the relationships they have built are still monumental.
Alternative Family Education (AFE) student Hana Gardner went to Shingu this past spring at age 13. The experience made such an impression on her that Gardner hopes to return next year.
“The connections I have made with my host family and their friends will last forever,” she said. “My trip to Shingu has already started influencing my future decisions, like where I might go to college or start my career. It has pushed me to want to travel all around Japan and the rest of the world.”
Those interested in applying are encouraged to get a move on it. The application process is extensive and only 14 spots are open for teens in grades 8 through 10.
According to McCallum, students are required to obtain recommendation letters, and pass an interview with the Shingu Committee representatives. “It’s a pretty serious application process. We are taking a group of students to represent our country,” McCallum said.
While all countywide teens in the specified age group are encouraged to apply, priority is given to students within the city of Santa Cruz. Those selected are expected to pay for their own expenses. Partial scholarships may be available on an as need basis.
On the flip side of the program, every August, a group from Shingu comes to Santa Cruz for a seven to nine day exchange. The teens from there also stay with host families.
“Sometimes it’s the same families that have their teens go to Shingu,” said McCallum. “It’s a nice relationship that has developed between the two cities.”
Shingu is one of the five sister cities of Santa Cruz. The others are Jinotepe, Nicaragua; Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela; Sestri Levante, Italy and Alushta, Ukraine.
For more information about the cultural exchange, visit: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/parks-recreation/commissions-and-committees/sister-cities-committee or follow City of Santa Cruz Sister Cities Committee on Facebook. For direct link to the application, go to http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=45490.
