 Each school year BSCO assists the Bloomington School District in supporting a Japanese assistant language teacher (ALT). The ALT assists the high school Japanese language teacher in the Bloomington School District adding authenticity to the student's learning. Without the ALT the number of students learning the language and culture of Japan would be severely limited. We are seeking applications for host families that would provide a home during the school year 2011-12. The ALT would need to have there own room and the host family would need to help with transportation as the teacher will not be able to drive here in the US. The ALT has been chosen and was a student at Jefferson a few years back so we know that she is great with kids, loves to cook, and is a non-smoker. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience another culture without leaving your home! Applications are being accepted, please contact us at 952-563-8713 or sistercity@ci.bloomington.mn.us Here is a brief background on the incoming ALT:
 We will have short term host family opportunities in the summer of 2012 when the next incoming delegation comes from Japan BSCO offers a great opportunity to have a rewarding intercultural experience right in your own home. Host families spend time with the students on week nights and weekends. If you would like to participate in this exciting opportunity, please call 952-563-8713.
What does it mean to be a host family? 
BSCO will provide Bloomington families with the opportunity to host an Izumi City student for about two weeks this summer. What a wonderful way to share your home and culture with a youth from Japan! In turn, you will learn about Japanese culture, make a new life-long friend and create an enduring memory for your family and the student. If you are thinking about a long-term hosting experience, the two week opportunity will give you a taste of what it is like to be a host family. Two BSCO board members, Peter Hage and Dan Royer and their families, have vast experience in student exchange programs. Peter and Pattie Hage hosted Reiko Miyazato during the 2008-09 school year through the Youth for Understanding Program. YFU is a non-profit international educational organization. Ms. Miyazato’s hometown is Naha, Okinawa. Ms. Miyazato said that she "found a new family" in the Hages. She liked Bloomington because it had a small town feel but was near the big city. She was amazed at Minnesota’s nature. She said she was surprised to see animals like deer, squirrels, and ducks out in the streets. She enjoyed learning about the Minnesotan people and would like them to know that, contrary to popular belief, people from Japan do not eat sushi every day! Ms. Miyazato wanted to share this message: "I really had wonderful days in Bloomington!" The Hage family has hosted 3 Japanese students and 2 students from Sweden for the school year as well as several shorter visits by students and adult delegates with the BSCO Cultural Exchange Programs. Both of the Hage’s sons have traveled to Japan through BSCO and they maintain contact with their host families in Japan. Their eldest son has lived in Japan for the past 3 years. When visiting him, the Hages are able to reconnect with the students they have hosted. Mr. Hage says, "I can’t recommend a better way to see a country!" Mr. Hage feels making friends in a foreign country can open you to a broader understanding of the world and gives you an opportunity to learn, first hand, about another culture, making the world a little less mysterious. Dan and Denise Royer have been actively involved with the AFS-USA program since their son traveled to Austria through the program several years ago. They have hosted several students. In 2005, the Royers hosted Satomi Fujiwara, a BSCO student exchange delegate. A deep connection was made with Ms. Fuijwara. She returned in 2007 to study English at St. Thomas. The Royers have been able to travel to Izumi and meet her family. The Royers are currently hosting fifteen year old Mr. Kantarou Sahara from Tokyo, Japan. He is attending Kennedy High School. Mr. Sahara likes to be with his host family because it is like being in a real family home. He is impressed with Bloomington’s many trees, straight roads and of course, the Mall of America. He was excited to visit United Noodle to buy authentic Asian food, however, he also worked diligently in the Royer’s garden to help bring in pumpkins, squash and other garden vegetables before the frost. On considering being a host family, Dan Royer suggests, "Your family has a lot to share. Visit with any family who is presently hosting a guest."
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