Hawken Welcomes Students from Haibara

Hawken welcomed six Japanese students and two adult chaperones from Haibara, Japan last week as part of the Hawken-Haibara exchange program, now in its 21st year. Last year, 12 Hawken students visited Haibara, and many of those students are now serving as host families to the Japanese visitors. While Hawken`s other international exchange programs are geared more towards older high school students, the Haibara program encourages participation from students as young as seventh grade. This year, the Japanese students are all 14 and 15 year old girls. The visitors will participate in a variety of host family-sponsored activities and school-sponsored activities designed to introduce them to American culture and customs and to give them a sense of the regional flavor of Northeast Ohio. In addition to attending school and participating in slumber and pool parties, the visitors and hosts will travel to downtown Cleveland, where they will be treated to a panoramic view of the city from Key Tower and tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last week, they toured Malley`s Chocolate Factory and visited Bedford Reservation, where they spent time at both Tinker`s Creek Gorge and Viaduct Park. In their "free" time, some host families planned a trip to Niagara Falls while others toured Amish Country. The Japanese guests were also introduced to American culinary traditions with a traditional welcome barbecue and, prior to their departure, will be honored at a "goodbye dinner" featuring traditional Thanksgiving fare. After more than twenty years of international exchanges between the two communities, it has become clear to the participants that the program is not as much about tourism as it is about establishing global connections. The more time they spend together, the more the students come to realize that, while there are distinct differences in the cultures and customs of our nations, there are many more commonalities that unite us.