Hello family, friends, and community supporters!

We are 10 hardworking students from Independence and Fort Osage selected to participate in a two-week homestay exchange program in our sister city Higashimurayama, Japan.

This program offers us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn, grow, and represent our community abroad.

During this two-week experience, we will:

-Live with host families and experience daily life in Japan

-Visit local schools and participate in cultural activities

-Visit historical sites and learn about Japanese history

-Strengthen language skills through real-life immersion

-Build lifelong friendships and global connections

-Become young ambassadors of Independence, Fort Osage, and Missouri

For many of us, this will be the first time traveling outside the United States, and this program will open doors we may never have access to again.

Your generosity will help cover:

-Airfare and transportation

-Travel insurance

-Cultural and language program fees

Every contribution, big or small, helps alleviate the financial burden on our families and ensures that all of us, regardless of our economic background, can participate.

How You Can Support

- Donate if you’re able

- Share this page with friends, family, and community

- Leave a message of encouragement for us as we prepare for a trip that will shape us for years to come.

Your kindness will help us step out into the world with confidence, curiosity, and pride in representing our schools, our communities, and the city of Independence.

With your support, we will return with broader perspectives, deeper cultural understanding, and memories that will last a lifetime.