Families sought to host Japanese visitors

Staff report

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Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull county families will have the opportunity to welcome a young person from Japan into their home for one month this year, as part of an international exchange program being offered by the County Ohio State University Extension, 4-H.

Last year, six youths and one chaperone were hosted in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Statewide, host families are needed for 100 Japanese youngsters age 12 to 18 and their adult chaperones, who will visit Ohio from July 23 through Aug. 18.

Host families provide the exchangees with room and board and a chance to experience daily life in America. Families are urged not to alter their daily routines or lifestyles during their visitor’s stay.

Exchangees provide their own spending money and the sponsoring organization furnishes comprehensive medical insurance.

The young Japanese visitors belong to the Labo Foundation, an organization which promotes the study of English culture and language in Japan. The other youth belong to organizations similar to 4-H in their country.

Ohio 4-H has been conducting international-exchange programs with these groups since 1949.

“Do you know what I learned from this child?” asked one host father. “That you can live together and not understand one word the other is saying, and yet still communicate and learn to love each other.” Comments such as this from a local family sum up the joy that can result from participating in the Ohio 4-H International Exchange Program.

All types of families are welcome to apply to become hosts, including urban, rural, single-parent, childless and non-4-H families.

The only requirement is that for the Japanese monthlong exchange, hosts must have a family member of the same gender and approximate age of the exchangee, three meals a day and a separate bed for the visitor.

If interested, contact Laura DePizzo in Trumbull County at 330-637-7384, or Gretchen Kalinay at 330-799-8407 or Gary Reel at 330-533-7712 in Mahoning and Columbiana counties for an application form and more information about this and other 4-H international-exchange programs.