APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – The City of Appleton has a unique opportunity to show off what it offers to students from Japan.

For the last three decades, the Kanonji Appleton Partnership has given both Fox Valley students and students from Kanonji, Japan, the chance to swap cities in a cultural exchange program.

The COVID-19 pandemic made this program hard to continue, but it’s back, and organizers are hoping the experience is more enriching than ever.

“They learn a lot about themselves and rely on themselves to solve language barriers, dealing with cultural barriers, dealing with culture shock, and going through that,” said Joette Bump, a Kanonji Appleton Partnership Board Member. “You learn a lot about your own country because you see it through someone else’s eyes.”

The program is still looking for host families in the Fox Valley to host a Japanese teenager. For more information, you can click here.