Hosting Japanese students in Menlo Park

•  Ideal hosts are flexible and open-minded. They want to introduce their families to new customs and cultures as well as share their own customs and cultures with a Japanese student or teacher. 
• They represent a diverse cross-section of the American population: varied economic, racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. They can be families with children, empty nesters, single parents or grandparents. 
• Families with students and educators in the household are particularly encouraged to apply, though this is not a requirement to host. 
• Members of the family should have an interest in international exchange and hosting students from Japan.  
• Families that have children ages 13-18 years who host this year would also be well suited to participate as a student ambassador for the Menlo Park delegation to Bizen the following year. 

• Hosts will provide patience, open communication and support to their students.
• An ideal host family will include their students in their lives and invite the students to participate in their everyday experiences and events.
• They will provide breakfast each morning and dinner most nights. Lunch is provided by the program on weekdays.
• Hosts will ensure their students arrive at the designated dropoff location each morning at the announced time. They will be meeting chaperones from MPSCA for planned activities each day. Hosts will pick them up at the end of the day, typically at the same location. Please make a note in your application if the drop off or pick up time is the only barrier to your hosting, and a sister city committee member will follow up with you directly.

1. February 9 – Application released
2. TBD – Information session at Menlo Park Library
3. March 28 – Deadline to complete and submit applications
4. April 4 – Notification of host families re pre-selection (pending final confirmation in May)
5. TBD – Host family orientation meeting
6. July 21 – Delegation arrives and host families pick them up in Menlo Park
7. July 21-26 – Exchange program daily activities
8. July 26 – Delegation departs

• Yes, they can share a room with a child of a similar age and of the same gender.
• The students must have their own bed.  

• Students go through an application and interview process and are chosen based on their interest in travel and cultural exchange and desire to explore the world. Our selection committee is provided a profile of each delegate and this is used to match with the host families. 
• Hosts cannot choose their students, however, we will use the information provided in both your and the students’ applications to make the best-suited matches.  

The exchange dates will be July 21-26, 2026. While the daily program is still under development, each weekday the students will be participating in group activities and will return to your home in the evening. Typically, you will drop off the students at approximately 8-8:30 a.m. and pick them up between 5:30-6 p.m. each day. 

There are scheduled events on weekdays, but Saturday is usually a free day for each host family to spend the whole day with their visiting students and we will reconvene as a group that evening for a BBQ at Burgess Park. You can take them on a hike to the Stanford Dish, visit Bedwell Bayfront Park, go on a ferry ride across the Bay, or whatever shared interest works best. Include them in a family event, go to a sports game; this is your free time to get to know your student and share your family, city and culture!  

• You will be responsible for providing breakfast and dinner for your students. Lunch will be provided by the program.
• You do not need to provide any additional money for the students. You will be asked to give each student a gift upon arrival and a gift for them to take home to their family. These gifts generally are small easy to pack items in the $10-$20 range, preferably with a Menlo Park, Bay Area or California flair.  

Students will have varied levels of English comprehension that allow them to successfully participate in the program. They will not necessarily be fluent, but this is an opportunity for them to practice and improve their English skills. In the past, use of a translating app (e.g. Google Translate, etc.) has helped host families and their students communicate.

Yes, we’ve found that the Japanese students are more comfortable and it provides the hosts with a unique and fun experience to have multiple exchange students in the home.  

Members of the Menlo Park Sister City Association will be available by phone and email 24/7. We can provide support regarding adjustment and cultural differences, translations and will manage any problems or issues that might arise.  

Students will be given extensive briefings on culture and living with a host family. They will also sign a standard agreement whereby they commit to following all program rules and refrain from consuming alcohol or tobacco. The student knows they will be expected to follow your household rules and curfews. During the orientation for host families, we will go over setting clear ground rules from the start and managing cultural differences.