Description of Program

Transcription

1 Description of Program The Sister City Exchange Program with Ushiku, Japan began in the 1980s to foster long-term and on-going interests in one another by providing first hand experiences with each other s cultures. It provides mutual understanding, increases leadership skills, and prepares youth to make a difference in their communities. Every other year, an outbound group of Youth Ambassadors are chosen to represent the City of Whitehorse in a 10 day exchange with Ushiku, Japan. While visiting the country the enthusiastic, dedicated, and positive Youth Ambassadors partake in a once-in-a lifetime journey. The City of Ushiku provides an active itinerary for Youth Ambassadors to experience Japanese culture and create incredible memories and lifelong friendships. Their experience includes living with a Japanese family, a visit to a local high school and a variety of traditional and modern Japanese cultural activities. To complete the exchange the following year, Youth Ambassador s families host a visiting inbound exchange student from Ushiku, Japan for 10 days. The Youth Ambassador s family welcome our Ushiku exchange students to their homes and community to share with them what it means to be Canadian and a Yukoner. During the evenings and weekends, the Ushiku students are hosted by their Whitehorse families. The host families are responsible for providing meals, accommodation and any other outings or excursions that they would like to involve their students in. The City of Whitehorse provides an itinerary for weekday activities that encompasses Canadian culture and the Yukon s history. This completes the exchange cycle and reinforces the ongoing and firsthand experience the City of Whitehorse exchange program provides. Outbound Years Whitehorse to Japan *30 th Anniversary Year Inbound Years Japan to Whitehorse *

2 2 Outbound Prerequisites The City of Whitehorse is seeking Whitehorse Youth Ambassadors to participate in the outbound exchange in 2018 (July 13 to 23) To participate as Youth Ambassador, participants must: Demonstrate civic pride in his/her community Be enthusiastic, open-minded, responsible and respectful of others Have a positive attitude, and good communication skills Be eager to participate in new activities Be part of a group of 10 to 13 youth with 2 chaperone leaders Be a Whitehorse resident between 13 and 17 years of age Be a Youth Ambassador for the City of Whitehorse and represent the city while participating in the program Be willing to host an exchange student the following year Have a passport Be prepared to live away from home for 10 days (not including travel time) Be billeted with a Japanese Family Participate in City of Whitehorse program related activities before, during, and after the exchange Have the desire to experience Japan, travel and explore new cultures Be recommended to this program by others Be able to handle stressful situations ***Chaperones (one female/one male) are required to complete a Criminal Records Check, in addition one chaperone is required to be a minimum of 25 years of age. Program Benefits Opportunities for students: To explore the history and culture of Japan To participate in the daily life of their host family To gain confidence, responsibility, self-reliance and leadership skills To come home with a new appreciation of their own country To prepare for 21st century life in the global village To make new friends and contacts that will last a lifetime! 2

3 3 How the Program Works Step 1: Complete Application (March 15, 2018) Step 2: Application will be reviewed and screened and students selected for interviews Step 3: Interviews (March 19-March 29, 2018) Step 4: Final Selection of students and chaperones (April 6, 2018) *All final applicants must accurately complete all required documentation Selection Criteria Application and Interview Process for Ushiku Exchange: There are limited spaces available in the Ushiku exchange program. A maximum of thirteen students will be selected to go to Ushiku and applicants will be selected based on the following: Application (20%) Interview (60%) Scenario exercise during the interview (20%) Interview Process: The interview process includes two interviewers in an informal setting A ranked scoring system is used to make the selection process as objective as possible Applicants will be notified one week after the interview if they have been selected Selection Criteria: City of Whitehorse Youth Ambassador Friendliness and enthusiasm Experience traveling outside the Yukon or abroad Demonstrated ability to handle stressful situations and conflict Communication skills - oral and written Group or teamwork abilities as demonstrated through application and interview questions Confidence Flexibility Ambassador skills Interest in Japanese and other cultures Ability to represent Whitehorse, Yukon, Canadian culture in Japan 3

4 4 Be able to attend at least 5 of 7 Ambassador Training classes held prior to the exchange (1.5 hours in length, usually held Tuesday nights during May, June and July.) Some ideas to help you prepare for an interview: Contact your local school guidance counselor or librarian for information Get your friends and parents to help you practice for the interview Chaperones Chaperones accepted for the program will demonstrate a commitment to supporting youth and to facilitating the youth participation in the exchange program. Chaperone applicants will be evaluated on the following characteristics: A demonstrated interest in and commitment to volunteering and participating in civic activities Demonstrated history of supporting youth activities Strong record in teaching and/or active involvement in youth programming Demonstrated leadership in youth initiatives where the applicant is activity engaged with youth. Program Outbound Fees The cost of the program ranges from $2,000 to $3,000 which includes: Return international airfare in economy class on regular airlines (Whitehorse to Japan) Administration fee (include language classes, travel coordination etc) Billeting and meals with a Japanese host family Admission fees for attractions and scheduled activities *Note: the bulk of the program cost is in the international airfare. Other expenses are covered by the City of Whitehorse or the City of Ushiku, Japan Cost that are NOT included in the program: Travel insurance (proof of insurance is required) 2 lunches: one en route and one in Ushiku Personal spending money ($200 to $400) 4

5 5 Excess baggage charges imposed by the airline Expenses resulting from travel changes caused by events beyond the control of the City of Whitehorse ***Each participant needs to bring some Japanese currency from home - order Japanese funds from your bank one month prior to travel. Outbound Deadlines for Application (See 2018 next steps) You must apply to participate in the Ushiku Japan Sister City Exchange Program. Please submit your application by Thursday March 15 at 4:30pm March 15 March March April 6 April 12 May, June and July Early June Mid to late June Deadline for receipt of all applications Applications are screened and students selected for interviews Interviews are held Final selection of students and chaperones First information meeting for students, parents and chaperones to discuss payment of airfare, filling in forms & waivers, details of cultural classes, expectations, etc. *additional meetings set up as needed Ambassador classes Host Family Profiles from Japan Deadline for Students to prepare short speeches and a group presentation for their visit. 5