The city is preparing for the 35th annual cultural exchange with our Sister City – Takasaki, Japan – and staff are looking for this year’s group of high school ambassadors.
This exciting and enriching opportunity is available to any high school student in the Battle Creek area. Local educators also can represent the city by serving as chaperones for the 2018 program.
The program includes a 10-day hosting experience in Battle Creek, and a 10-day travel experience to Japan, for 20 days total. Battle Creek’s high school delegation will be comprised of four high school students and one teacher/chaperone.
Battle Creek high school families will host Takasaki students from July 22 to Aug. 1, then all students will depart for Takasaki City, with Battle Creek area students returning on Aug. 12.
This year’s program applications are now available on the city’s website, battlecreekmi.gov/takasaki. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13, with applications due to City Hall Room 206, 10 N. Division St. See the information and application packets online for more details, or call Assistant to the City Manager Jacob Schacht at 269-966-3378.
Staff will visit local high schools during lunchtimes this week, March 12-16, to answer questions about the program in person. As of this release, staff visited Lakeview today, and have scheduled:
- Harper Creek – Tuesday, March 13
- St. Phil – Thursday, March 15
- BC Central – Friday, March 16
On March 21, from 6-7 p.m., interested students, parents, and teachers are welcome to join a community-wide informational session at the Kool Family Community Center, 200 W. Michigan Ave., where staff will spend time explaining the program. For teachers, staff will present additional, chaperone-specific information from 7-8 p.m.
The student exchange is a volunteer exchange sponsored and organized by the Battle Creek Area International Relations Committee. The program began in 1984.