Westfield students become ‘Life Ready’ through Japanese exchange

Submitted by Westfield Washington Schools

For 35 Westfield High School (WHS) students, the summer of 2026 included an exciting opportunity to travel more than 6,000 miles from home.

In July, these students spent two weeks in Japan as part of the Yamate Gakuin Exchange Program, an ongoing cultural exchange between WHS and Yamate Gakuin Junior and Senior High School in the Yokohama area.

The experience began months before the group boarded a flight. In April, Westfield families welcomed 72 Yamate students to Indiana for two weeks. The visiting students attended classes at WHS, practiced their English, experienced American culture, and became part of their Westfield host families’ everyday lives.

In July, WHS students traveled to Japan. While abroad, they lived with host families, explored Japanese culture, and learned to navigate a place where the language, traditions, food, transportation, and rhythms of daily life are often very different from their own.

“The Yamate Gakuin Japanese Exchange Program can be a life-changing experience, whether you are hosting, traveling, or both,” said Michelle Goudy, assistant coordinator of the Yamate Gakuin Exchange Program, chaperone, and a WHS teacher. “It opens your world to the cultural differences and similarities between Japanese and American students.”

While in Westfield, Yamate students attend WHS for much of their stay and experience the community with their host families. That can mean trying American and Mexican foods (hamburgers being particularly popular), attending sporting events or concerts, exploring Indiana, or simply experiencing everyday life with a Westfield family.

The exchange is designed to be reciprocal as the families of WHS students who travel to Japan are required to host Yamate students when they visit Westfield. There is intentionality behind placements as well. Students complete profiles about themselves and their interests to help group leaders match them with host families. A student who enjoys hiking, for example, might be paired with a host family who shares that interest.

When WHS students traveled to Japan, Yamate was on summer break. The school creates a mock school day, however, so Westfield students can still experience what it is like to be a Yamate student. Students are assigned Japanese student buddies and are led through an assigned schedule. Students get to sample courses like Japanese, Kendo, Music, Korean, Math, and others taught by Japanese teachers.

“I think it opens the kids’ eyes to what is out in the world, and it makes them more curious about all the different opportunities that are out there,” Goudy said.

Students also participate in cultural activities and excursions throughout their stay. Yamate’s parent organization provides significant support for the exchange, including a cultural day, Japanese luncheon, and trip to Tokyo Disney Sea. During some school excursions and outings with their host families, Westfield students walk through streets and visit sites that are thousands of years old.

The relationships formed make the experience truly educational and personal. Rather than experiencing Japan only as tourists, WHS students become part of a household for two weeks. They see what everyday life looks like for another family while learning to communicate, adapt, and build relationships across cultural and, sometimes, language differences.

“The homestay aspect allows our students to deepen relationships started in April,” said Stacey O’Brien, Coordinator of the Yamate Gakuin Exchange Program, Content Area Director of World Languages, Chaperone, “as well as establish new friendships with host siblings, their families, and others in the community. Living the authentic daily life in another culture challenges preconceived ideas we may have here in the U.S. It teaches our students that there are multiple ‘right’ ways to do things and introduces them to varied viewpoints about the world. Having a host family also provides much more context than a typical tour might. Host families share the history of a place, the traditions of modern families, and can answer our students’ follow-up questions to deepen their understanding.”

More information about the Exchange Program

The partnership between WHS and Yamate Gakuin began in 2022 with planning and relationship-building before the first student exchange took place in 2024. The schools reunited for their second exchange in 2026, and the program is expected to continue on a two-year cycle, with the next exchange anticipated in 2028.

No Japanese language experience is required for WHS students to participate. Some Japanese host families and Yamate students speak English well, while others have varying levels of proficiency. When necessary, students and families use translation tools and find other ways to communicate.

That challenge is part of the learning experience. Students have to navigate unfamiliar situations, communicate when words do not always come easily, respect different customs, and adapt when everyday life looks different from what they know at home.

Additional information about the next exchange, including opportunities to host and travel, will be shared in August of 2027 as plans for the 2028 exchange develop. Students and families interested in participating should watch for information about a call-out meeting at the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.