It’s a long way to… Hakusan City. It’s a 24-hour journey ahead of young ambassadors from Boston aiming for the friendship-linked city in Japan.
The 2018/2019 Hakusan City Exchange begins in the early hours of Monday, July 15, when the group of 12 students and their two chaperones set off for the west coast of Japan, via Tokyo.
The group from Boys’ Grammar, Girls’ High School and Giles Academy have a packed two-week schedule culminating in two days in Tokyo seeing the sites and having fun at Tokyo Disney, before their flight home on July 29.
They will be travelling with a range of gifts for their Japanese hosts and their families, and a gift from the Mayor of Boston, Cllr Anton Dani, to the Mayor of Hakusan City, to be handed over at a formal welcome ceremony. The arrival of the group usually makes the National Press in Japan.
The adventure is the culmination of fundraising and thanks to the generosity of many local businesses and traders. Three quarters of the trip cost has been raised and donated
A recent tombola at Friskney Show was brilliantly supported
You could be one of the lucky students taking part in the 2020/2021 Exchange. Successful applicants will have the chance to experience a completely different culture and lifestyle, host a Japanese student for ten days during July, 2020, visit Japan for 12 to 14 days during July, 2021, add to their personal development through commitment to a long-term project, meet new people and make lasting friendships… the list is endless.
If you are in School Year Group 8 or 9 in September 2019 and live, school or have a parent/guardian working within the Borough of Boston, please contact the Hakusan City Exchange for an information sheet and application form at bhcexchange@outlook.com Applications close September 20, 2019.
Krista, centre, is bound for Japan. She is pictured with parents Julie and Anita at a recent Hakusan City Exchange fundraising event.