Hosts Sought for Exchange Students
Organizers of a cultural exchange program are looking for families willing to share their Thanksgiving holiday with a high school student from Japan.
Twenty-eight students from Nishitan High School in Fukuoka, Japan, will arrive in Ventura County on Nov. 19, said Roxanne Kelley, a coordinator for Cultural Homestay International.
Many of the students have already been matched with families, but four boys and two girls still need to be placed, Kelley said.
The students will stay with the host family through the Thanksgiving holiday, departing for Japan on Nov. 28, she said.
All of the students are 16 or 17 years old, she said.
“Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday,” Kelley said. “The purpose of the trip is for them to learn about Thanksgiving and its place in American culture.”
Besides sharing Thanksgiving with families, the students will visit Ventura County high schools, Kelley said. All the Japanese students are fully insured and bring their own spending money, she said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
