Rotary Offers Trip to Japan for Students

Rotary clubs in the Jefferson Township area are recruiting students ages 16 to 20 to participate in a unique three-week trip to southern Japan.  The program accepts 28 students from the area, and 18 have already been selected to participate.  The remaining slots are being filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The Rotary Short-Term Youth Exchange Program, now in its 33 years old, provides an in-depth cultural experience than cannot be experienced as a typical tourist, according to Rotary officials.

The trip departs on June 28 and returns on July 19. The trip is designed for students who want to experience and learn about Japanese culture, interact with Japanese students and families, visit local high schools, participate in home-stays, and form lifelong friendships, officials said. 

The group will visit major cities in southern Japan including Osaka, Kyoto and Nara and, then will move onto the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands in Japan, where the students will spend the majority of their time.

Students are paired-up and will enjoy four different homestays with local Japanese Rotarian families.

The all-inclusive cost of the trip is $2,950 including airfare.  Students are selected through an interview process which occurs in February and March.  Applications are now being accepted.  Interviews are scheduled based upon the order of applications received.

Complete information and an application form is available at the program’s website at http://rrstye.rotarydistrict7470.org/. For additional information, contact Barry Kroll, Program Chair at barrykroll@aol.com or 973-476-2772.

For more information about Rotary in Jefferson Township, visit www.rotarydistrict7470.org