Host a Japanese Middle School Student, July 21-30, 2024!

•The Salem-Ota Cultural Exchange (SOCE) Club annually hosts 28 students (14 boys,14 girls) from Ota City, Japan-near Tokyo; they are 12 and 13 years old. This is the 32nd year of this cultural exchange. This year students will be here, July 21-30, 2024.

•The Japanese students have their days filled with their own program but are looking to stay with a family with similar aged kids for the evenings/weekends. Hosts typically have kid(s) in their own home, aged 10-16. Younger and older are also welcomed. Host families often get together for social outings during free time: games, beach/pool, shopping etc.

•The students all have a working use of English and there is NO expectation that the US kids/families know any Japanese.

•The only requirement is Japanese students must have a bed of their own and hosts must be willing drop their student off in Salem in the morning (usually around 8:30 am) and pick them up in Salem in the evening (usually around 4 pm). (Families often share these pickups/drop-offs.) While this club is based out of Salem, we have typically had hosting families from surrounding towns as well: Beverly, Marblehead, Lynn, Swampscott, Danvers, Georgetown, etc.

•To express interest in hosting, please contact Marlene Warner at 978.394.4722 or [email protected]; also visit our website at: www.salemotace.org for more information.