Clearwater Looking To Send Four High School Students To Japan

CLEARWATER, FL – The City of Clearwater is looking to send four local high school students on an educational trip halfway across the world.

Four students will be selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship that will go toward spending one week during the summer of 2017 in Nagano, Japan, as part of the Sister Cities International Exchange Program.

Clearwater and Nagano have been Sister Cities since 1959 when Mayor Itaru Kurashima came to the United States in search of a city with similar economic and community needs, along with wanting to develop new friendships, ideas and business partnerships. Kurashima found a kindred spirit with Gulf Coast city, as both places have major tourist attractions: Nagano has the ancient Zenkoji Temple while Clearwater has its world-famous beaches.

The exchange program opportunity will give four high school students a chance to immerse themselves in Japan’s culture, giving them a hands-on learning opportunity. During their stay, the students will reside with homestay families and visit junior and senior high schools.

Also on their visit, the students will make numerous presentations at each school and actively participate in educational exchanges between Clearwater and Nagano students.

To be eligible for the program, the students must be a resident of Clearwater, enrolled in high school, have a minimum GPA of 3.5 or higher and enrolled in a world language class, international business or comparative cultures or have completed a sequence of similar study.

Interested students must file a complete application, including four letters of recommendation, a letter from parents or guardian giving permission and support, plus a 500-word essay explaining their interest in the program. Students will be selected for an interview based on the strength of their applications and eligibility requirements.

Complete applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6 to be considered. Click here to download the application.

For more information, contact Christopher Hubbard at (727) 562-4837 or Christopher.hubbard@myclearwater.com.

Image via Mig Gilbert, Flickr, used under Creative Commons