Families needed to host exchange students

Japanese students ages twelve- to sixteen-years-old will be visiting Michigan this summer, and the MSU Extension Office is looking for families to host the students.

The students will be spending a month in the U.P. and other parts of the state learning the culture of Michigan residents.  It is through the 4-H International Exchange Program that is partnered with a similar Japanese organization called the Labo Party.

MSU Extension has placed most of the students, but still need a few more families willing to host a student.

“Host families need to have a child that’s the same gender and around the same age of the kid that they would be hosting,” MSU Extension Educator Brian Wibby said.  “The kids that we still have left are thirteen-year-old boys, so we’re looking for families that have boys between the ages of ten and fifteen, sixteen.”

Wibby said the students are excited to see what the U–P has to offer.

“Families in the U.P. really have a lot to share up here.  It’s a beautiful place to live.  I know that Japanese students who have stayed up here (previously) have really enjoyed it.”

The deadline for filling out an application to be a host family is July 15.

You can visit MSU’s Extension website, the host family application page, or look at a list of delegates to get more information.