Congratulations to our 2025 Student Ambassadors!

Matthew Garza, Elise Martin, and Jeffrey Watts will travel to Kurashiki in July 2024 to represent the Kansas City area, the Heart of America Japan-America Society, and the United States. We are excited to provide these students the opportunity to experience homestays with families in our beloved sister city! Join us at our September 23rd meeting to hear about their time in Kurashiki and visits to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Itsukushima Shrine. 

                                        

                            2025 Student Ambassadors (left to right): Jeffrey Kazuo Watts, Matthew Garza, and Elise Martin

About Our Program

Since 1972, the Heart of America Japan-America Society and the city of Kansas City, Missouri have engaged in a Sister City Program with the beautiful city of Kurashiki, Japan. Since 1981, our members have helped sponsor over 80 American high school students in a summer homestay program in Kurashiki. These “Student Ambassadors” have studied the Japanese language and are well qualified to represent the Heart of America Japan-America Society.

The application for the 2026 student ambassadors will be posted in January 2026. If you’re interested in applying for the Student Ambassador Program but have questions or the application window is closed, please email any questions you have about the program to hoa.japanamericasociety@gmail.com. 

Read about our 2024 Student Ambassadors! Max Alvarez, Truitt Lowrey, Mae Masek, and Oliver Yeager traveled to Kurashiki in July 2024. Learn about their adventures in their post-trip essays below. 

      Max Alvarez                  Truitt Lowrey                Mae Masek                    Oliver Yeager

  

You can read about our 2024 Student Ambassadors' experiences in their post-trip essays below. 

   Max Alvarez         Truitt Lowrey         Mae Masek         Oliver Yeager