Gabrovo Municipality and Youth Center - Gabrovo announce a competition to recruit participants for a youth exchange in Toyoake, Japan.
The exchange will last two weeks, including travel, and the group will consist of 10 students and one leader.
The proposed dates for the visit are early July 2023, but are subject to change.
Participants will be placed with Japanese families in Toyoake City, students at Seijo High School. The costs of the stay in Japan - accommodation, food and program initiatives - are covered by the host country. The costs of round-trip air ticket to Japan, insurances, foreign passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel, power of attorney from both parents and personal expenses are borne by the exchange participant.
The families of the Bulgarian participants are expected to welcome a student from "Seijo" High School into their home and cover the costs of the beating of the Japanese child on Bulgarian soil. The proposed dates for their visit to Bulgaria are in mid-August 2023, but may be subject to change. Currently, no visa is required for Japan and no vaccination is required.
All young people from Gabrovo from grades 8 to 11 have the right to participate in the competition.
The competition will be held in two rounds - by documents, by filling out and sending an application, and an interview, to which only candidates who passed the first round will be invited.
Applications are accepted up to and including April 2, 2023.
The application can be completed here. Please note that there is a field on the form that also requires parents to be informed and agree to the terms of the exchange.
The exchange with Seijo High School started in 2018. So far, Bulgarian students have visited Japan twice, and Japanese students in Bulgaria - once. Participants are placed in host families with high school students and share their lifestyle for two weeks. The school organizes for the group excursions to interesting tourist sites and various activities related to Japanese culture, art, history, cuisine. Students also spend time at school - in lessons and interest clubs. An event is organized at which the Gabrovo group presents Bulgarian culture and their talents. The exchange participants are expected to accept a visiting child from Japan later this year and cover the costs of his stay on Bulgarian soil.
You can follow how the last visits from the exchange went on the Facebook page of the initiative https://www.facebook.com/ToyoakeGabrovo, where photos and travel impressions are published.
For additional questions, you can contact Martina Grueva on tel. 0899 823 611.
