Eight local high school students have been selected to participate in the annual student exchange program to visit Central Highlands’s sister-city Ichinoseki in Japan.
Mikaela Bannan, Reade Conaghan, Katie Cooke, Cameron Jackson, Amelia and Hope Knapman, Britney Roberts and Elissa Russell will represent the region on this year’s exchange trip.
The group will depart for Japan on Saturday 30 June 2018 and return on Friday 13 July 2018. They will spend the first week in the Ichinoseki region in northern Japan and then travel south to Osaka, Hiroshima and Tokyo.
Central Highlands Regional Council’s Administration Officer Nicole Rickards and Procurement Officer William De Vreede are chaperones for the trip.
Ms Rickards said she was thrilled to be part of the program and is looking forward to getting to know her host family.
‘We’re about to start cultural lessons to learn some Japanese and about the culture in preparation to spend three nights with families in Ichinoseki,’ she said
Fundraising is well underway with two-thirds of the travel and food expenses already raised.
‘We’re planning a bingo or trivia night in June so keep an eye out for more details as they are finalised.’
The friendship between the two towns began in 1991 to foster a collaboration of commerce, industry, youth, goodwill, education and culture between the two regions.
Expressions of interest for participants are called each year in October for the following year’s exchange. Keep an eye on council’s website or enews bulletin to get involved.