50 Years of Friendship

Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society
Celebrating Fifty Years of Friendship!


The 2011 Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society High School Exchange students
(Christian Baum, Kendra Mote, and Katie Miller
with 2009 exchange student Samantha Brown)
taken at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute on June 12, 2011

Each year the Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society promotes cultural understanding and language study by sponsoring 2-3 summer exchange students to go to Nishinomiya, Japan. The selected students will go for six weeks after school is out in June. This opportunity is for high school students of sophomore or junior class standing. The selected students should preferably be enrolled in Japanese language classes. However, if there is not enough interest in those classes, we encourage other foreign language students to apply. In exchange, the families of the selected students must also be able to host a Japanese student from Nishinomiya for six weeks in Spokane in the falling October and November.

The Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society will pay 75% of the airfare for each selected student. The student’s family is required to pay the remaining 25%. Host families in Japan are volunteers, thus there is no cost for basic room and board for the selected students. However, students are required to have pocket money and may need to pay for incidentals such as the Nishinomiya bus or train system to get to school. This depends on each hosting family in Japan.

In addition, it is required that applicants and their families become members of the Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society. To become a member of the Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society, click HERE.
Other requirements include the following:

• A high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Japanese language studies in high school or other

• The student and parents agree to hold the Society and its representatives blameless from any and all liability for personal injuries, property damages, loss of life or property, or any other damage whatsoever resulting directly from, or in any way connected with the Student Exchange Program, regardless of who or what may give rise to the occurrence of said damage or alleged liability.
• The student is expected to behave as a responsible representative of his family, school and community which includes respecting the rules and regulations of the Nishinomiya school and the host family as well as Japanese laws, if the student is connected with the Student Exchange Program, regardless of who or what may give rise to the occurrence of said damage or alleged liability.
• The student and parents understand that if selected, the student will abide by the rules and regulations as set forth by the Spokane Nishinomiya Sister City Society, which includes attending all pre-departure orientation sessions, the class and activity schedule as outlined for the student at the high school in Nishinomiya, and participate to the best of student's ability in the daily life of the Japanese host family.
• Only applicants that have been recommended by their Japanese teachers are given first priority. Only apply if you have not been recommended by your teacher. (Some exceptions may apply.)
• Membership in the Spokane-Nishinomiya Sister City Society is recommended.