Innocents Abroad: Foreign Exchange -- You Know, for Kids

Many of us are familiar with study-abroad programs for high school and college students. Less known are the few programs designed for upper elementary school and middle school students.

The Portland Public Schools's Japanese Magnet Program [1], in Portland, Oregon, was an early pioneer in developing a cultural exchange for fifth grade [2] and a research-residency program for eighth grade [3].

The success of these foreign-exchange programs is due, in large part, to the active participation of parents who have established a nonprofit organization to support this magnet program. Besides fundraising for an intern program for native Japanese speakers, plus the foreign-exchange trips and classroom supplies, the parent group, called Oya No Kai [4], works to build bridges within the school district and the broader community at large.