After a 3 year hiatus due to the pandemic, Sister City Student and Teacher exchanges will resume in 2023, the year that will also mark the 30th anniversary of the Sister City connection with Hanamaki, Japan. The Hot Springs National Park Sister City Program has sponsored these exchanges for many years with scores of area students and teachers taking part in the annual delegation visits to Hanamaki to take part in educational exchanges.
The 2023 Sister City student delegation will travel to Hanamaki, Japan in early June. Garland County students currently in grades 8-11 are eligible to apply for the week-long educational study trip. Up to 10 students will be chosen to travel to Hanamaki. A limited number of partial scholarships will be awarded.
Garland County Public School teachers and administrators are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship which funds the week-long trip to Hanamaki in mid-July where they will visit area schools, educational institutions, and cultural sites. Teachers will have the opportunity to interact with administrators and teachers who teach Hanamaki area schools offering opportunities for the exchange of ideas with their peers in our sister city. All applications are available from the Sister City Program website www.HotSpringsSisterCity.org.
“This is a life-changing opportunity for our area students and teachers. It allows them to experience life in rural Japan, have the opportunity to stay with a host family, and enjoy the incredible hospitality of our sister city friends,” said Mary Zunick, Executive Director of the Hot Springs Sister City Program.
For more information, contact Mary Zunick at 501-545-6960.
