Student Selection and Application Process
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Information about the Program and Commitment Needed
The Ketchikan Gero Kanayama Exchange program started in 1986, beginning with teacher exchanges and then annual exchanges of students in 1987. The exchange started as part of a school district program, and then the Ketchikan Gero Kanayama Exchange Association was formed in 1989 to administer the program. It is a non-profit organization run totally by volunteers dedicated to keeping the program running well. Funding from the school district and the borough is minimal and possibly covers only expenses for the teacher exchange. FINANCIAL COMMITMENT: For those selected for the exchange, this is a trip of a lifetime but travel to and within Japan is expensive. For this reason, you need to be fully aware of the financial and time commitment involved. Students selected for the exchange must be able to commit to a base monetary amount of $2,500 (This does not include spending money while in Japan or purchasing items for uniform). This money is used to help cover airfare to Japan. The monetary commitment is broken down into 4 monthly commitments of $625 due in December, January, February and March in order to complete travel plans and ticket purchases. FUND-RAISING: The total budget anticipated for travel is approximately $65,000 with slightly over half from your personal commitment. The extra money needed to meet this goal covers gifts for school and city officials and any additional travel within Japan that the group may do following their stay in Kanayama and Gero. Students selected and their families, are expected to help with all fundraising. Activities in the past have included making and selling pizzas, gift wrapping in December, bake sales and auctions, calender sales, gathering donations, and organizing and conducting a raffle. Fundraising activities start soon after the group is selected in October. Families are responsible for filling time slots for gift wrapping, participating in bake sales, selling raffle tickets, and gathering monies for calendar sales. *Any unsold raffles tickets and calendar sales are the families financial responsibility* Raffle Sales All required raffle tickets MUST be sold. Your family will be responsible for the balance of unsold tickets at $10 each. Calendar Fundraiser Each family will be required to fill each day of a calendar, for the given month, with donations matching the date. For example the 4th = $4, the 23rd = $23. All families must participate and will be responsible for unsold dates. Bake Sales Each family will be required to bring baked items, either home made or store bought, to support bake sales. This will be for both an auction and bake sales during school dances. Gift Wrapping in December Each family will need to commit to approximately 20 hours of gift wrapping. ALL families MUST participate in gift wrapping. We want you to be fully aware of the time commitment that may be required of you in meeting fundraising goals. Any funds remaining in the total budget upon completion of the travel will revert to the exchange program to help cover costs and ensure its future continuation and viability, and there will be no refunds upon trip completion. TIME COMMITMENT: In addition to the time involved in fundraising, parents must also commit to helping with the various committees involved in trip logistics and program events: Fundraising, Publicity & Gifts, Events, and Performances. Again, this requires commitment on your part. We hope that we haven’t scared you off by highlighting what is expected of you. The exchange experience is truly unique and though the student may be the only one traveling, the work involved prior to the trip can be enriching for both the student and parents, and often strengthens family bonds. We would encourage you to support your child in his or her quest of becoming part of the exchange group for the upcoming year. |