Students, families participate<\/b><\/p>\n
On paper, a recent trip to Japan by a delegation of local students was only 10 days.<\/p>\n
In reality, it was the culmination of a year\u2019s worth of effort.<\/p>\n
The youth-ambassador program for the Kent-Auburn-Tamba Sister Cities Committee requires students as well as their families to become vested in an intensive international-relations project.<\/p>\n
The result of that level of commitment, say organizers, is a connection with another culture that goes far beyond being a tourist in another country.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about getting acquainted with a country, one person at a time.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce someone goes over there and makes that personal connection, it just takes it to a whole new level,\u201d said Duanna Richards, Auburn\u2019s sister cities liaison. \u201cNow it\u2019s more than just a country – it\u2019s a real-life experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The youth-ambassador program is open to students entering the ninth or 10th grade in the Kent and Auburn school districts. And according to Kim Isom, youth-ambassador coordinator for both Auburn and Kent, students chosen to be ambassadors should expect to function in that role from the moment they pass muster with the ambassador-selection committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a minimum 12-month commitment,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re an ambassador from the moment they\u2019re elected.\u201d<\/p>\n
So what does that mean?<\/p>\n
For the student, it means being willing to learn about Japanese culture (most who go through the program are already taking Japanese courses through their schools), as well as committing to do a research project focusing on an aspect of the culture or the country. Students also must be willing to function as \u201cambassadors\u201d in their schools (talking to fellow students and to teachers about the program), as well as speaking to service groups about their experiences.<\/p>\n
For the students and their families, the commitment also includes covering half the cost of the air fare (by the raising money themselves or paying for it out of pocket) and participating in the program\u2019s annual fundraising auction, which takes place in May.<\/p>\n
And there is also the excitement of hosting a Japanese student, as part of the exchange between the countries.<\/p>\n
But while they\u2019re expending the effort, Isom noted students are getting something back.<\/p>\n
That includes the opportunity to build up hours of community service – which is a high-school graduation requirement – as well as the knowledge they are doing something that goes well beyond the parameters of a typical high-school experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re representing their family, their high school, their school district, the city in which they live, the state of Washington and the United States of America,\u201d Isom said. \u201cThat\u2019s a pretty significant role.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Auburn, the ambassador program functions with the city of Tamba (which is actually a Japanese \u201csuper city\u201d comprised of six smaller cities, of which Kasuga has a sister-city relationship with Auburn.)<\/p>\n
In Kent, the ambassador program also involves sister cities in Norway and China, in addition to Japan. Kent has a formal sister-city relationship with Kaibara, one of the six cities making up the super city of Tamba.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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