Madison Rotary Seeks Local Youth for Cultural Exchange Trip to Japan

The Madison Rotary is looking for 28 students to represent the region in a cultural exchange with Japan.

The Ross Redmond Short Term Youth Exchange Program, now in its 36th year, offers students ages 16 to 19 the opportunity to learn about Japanese culture, interact with Japanese students and form friendships that will last a lifetime.

This three-week trip, tentatively departing on June 25, 2015 and returning on July 16, 2015, will visit major cities in southern Japan including Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.

The students will also embark on a separate trip to Hiroshima to visit Peace Memorial Park and the Holocaust Museum.

The group will stay on the island of Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands in Japan. Each student will meet and live with four host families in each of the island’s four prefectures.

The cost for the all-inclusive trip is $2,900. This includes food, lodging and airfare. Incidentals are extra. Students are selected through an interview process that occurs during February and March. Applications are now being accepted.

To apply, visit the Rotary’s website. The Ross Redmond Short Term Youth Exchange Chairman, Jim Allison, can be reached at JRA188@aol.com or 201-213-6382 to answer any questions.