HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE

19 FEBRUARY 2016

Interested in an educational exchange to the USA or Japan?

Teachers and students in Lower Hutt are encouraged to take up the opportunity to go on exchange to our sister cities in Japan and the USA.

Mayor Ray Wallace invites all interested teachers, students and their family and whanau along to an Educational Exchange Expo to find out more about three exciting exchange programmes for teachers and students to Minoh City in Osaka, Japan and Tempe, Arizona in USA. All exchanges include being home-hosted with local families and in turn hosting delegates on exchange to Lower Hutt.

This year sees a new exchange, the “Hutt-Minoh Teacher Exchange Programme”, for teachers to immerse themselves in a different culture through co-teaching for two weeks in Japan, and staying with a home-host family.

Mayor Wallace says, “Tempe and Minoh are really fascinating cities, and a big change from Lower Hutt. For students it’s a real eye opener into another culture and for teachers it is a really inspiring professional and personal experience.

“We enjoy a great relationship with our sister cities, and the personal connections made on these exchanges really strengthens that.”

Kristina Hutley says her experience on student exchange to Tempe, Arizona in 2014 changed her life “Going to America had been a lifelong dream of mine and the welcome we got at Phoenix Airport was heart-warming, you get accepted into these families with open arms and you fit right in.”

The Mayor will be joined at the Expo by representatives from Sister Cities New Zealand, The US Embassy and The Embassy of Japan.

Lower Hutt Sister City Educational Exchange Expo:

• Wednesday 2nd March 2016

• The Dowse Art Museum, Laings Road, Lower Hutt

• Expo opens at 6.30pm

Please register your interest in attending by 26 February with
Linda Goss-Wallace linda.goss-wallace@huttcity.govt.nz

Read more online at huttsistercities.org.nz

ENDS

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