HUNTINGTON BEACH : Applicants Sought for Sister City Trips

It’s a formative childhood experience for the eight junior high and high school students who are selected each year to travel to sister cities in Japan and New Zealand.

“The competition is pretty stiff, but that shouldn’t discourage people,” said Doug Erber, president of the Sister City Assn. of Huntington Beach. “We’re not looking for ‘A’ students; we’re looking for students who are outgoing, friendly and have a sincere interest in learning about a new culture.”

Four students will be selected to visit Anjo, Japan, and another four will stay in Waitakere, New Zealand. The deadline to apply for the 1995 student exchange program is Dec. 9.

“Every kid who has come back has had their eyes open that there are other places in the world other than Southern California,” Erber said. “They come back with a new understanding and appreciation for the U.S. and our position in the world and are more open-minded toward learning about different cultures and accepting people and their backgrounds.”

Erber said the Sister City Assn. subsidizes part of the students’ travel expenses. Students also hold fund-raisers to help pay for travel to the sister cities, where they spend two weeks in the homes of foreign students.

The local students travel to the sister cities in August. Students from New Zealand visit here in late April, while those from Japan arrive in early July. To participate, students must be between 13 and 17 years old and must live or go to school in the city.

Applications are available at Huntington Beach Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave., or the the public information office at City Hall, 2000 Main St. A Sister City Assn. meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Central Library, Meeting Room C. For more information, call (714) 846-7685.