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Contact Mrs. Pavao (408-666-0586
or dpavao.scsca@gmail.com) for any questions.
SCSCA offers scholarships to high-school students in Santa Clara for the
student-exchange programs with Coimbra, Portugual, and Izumo, Japan, which are
our sister cities. The scholarship program offers the students an opportunity to
work with the citizens of Santa Clara, get involved in their international
exchange efforts, and visit and meet people in our sister cities.
Eligibility
Applicant for the SCSCA student exchange program must meet the following
eligibility criteria:
i. Applicant must be a freshman, sophomore, or
junior in high school. Exceptions may sometimes be made for high-school
seniors.
ii. Applicant must be in the Santa Clara Unified School District or a
resident of the City of Santa Clara.
iii. Applicant must demonstrate commitment to the SCSCA organization and
participate in its fund-raising events (See list of events on the
Calendar
page).
Application
1. Download all of the following pages and prepare
the application documents.
i.
Application Instructions
ii. Application for hosting a student: Pages
1 and
2
iii. Application for student exchange: Pages
1 and
2 and
3
2. Submit all of the application documents to Santa
Clara Sister Cities Association at PO Box 3425, Santa Clara, CA 95055, before
the application deadline on November 18, 2011. Contact Mrs. Pavao (408-244-9428 or
dpavao.scsca@gmail.com) with any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How does the student exchange program with our
sister cities work?
Students interested in the scholarship program must submit an application. SCSCA
chooses two students for a trip to Izumo each year and approximately half a
dozen students for a trip to Coimbra every other year. Each trip is 10 days
long.
The Izumo program is an even exchange. Each year, two high-school students from
the City of Izumo visit Santa Clara in the spring, and two students from Santa
Clara visit Izumo in the summer. The families of the students chosen for this
program are required to host the students visiting from Izumo for a stay at
their homes.
Families of the students involved in the Coimbra program are also encouraged to
host students visiting from Coimbra.
2. How are the students chosen for the exchange
programs?
SCSCA will select the students based on the following:
1. Application documents
2. Commitment to and participation in the SCSCA activities. This will be the
most important selection criteria.
3. Interviews with the student and his/her guardian(s), which are to be
scheduled after the application documents are submitted (See the Program
Timelines at the bottom of this page.).
3. What expenses will the SCSCA scholarship cover, and
what will be the student out-of-pocket expenses?
The student exchange trip typically costs a total of around $2000 per student,
depending on the airfare. SCSCA pays $1000 for each student, and the student is
responsible for the balance of the trip cost, which is outlined as below:
Airfair, ground transportations, other expenses
$1500-$1600
Stipends $300-$400
Total trip cost $1800-$2000
Amount paid by SCSCA toward the travel expenses
($1000)
Difference or the student out-of-pocket cost $800-$1000
*In addition, students are strongly encouraged to
bring gifts, typically costing around $3.00 to $5.00, to their host families.
Customs vary by culture, and more information will be provided during
orientation.
4. What are the student responsibilities in
participating in the program?
The students going on the exchange trip should always remember that they
represent our city, state, and country and act accordingly.
The students chosen for the program are also required to participate in the
following activities:
i. Participate in the SCSCA fund raiser events
ii. Spend time with the students visiting from our sister cities
iii. Attend orientation meetings to prepare for the trip
iv. Make a trip report presentation to the members of the SCSCA
v. Make a trip report presentation at a Santa Clara City Council meeting
vi. Continue involvement with the SCSCA and help other students going on the
future exchange trips
Before going on the trip, the student and his/her
guardian(s) will be asked to do the following:
i. Obtain a travel insurance
ii. Obtain a valid passport
iii. Sign a No-Alcohol contract
PROGRAM TIMELINES
Trip to Izumo in 2012
November 2011
Application deadline for the 2012 trip
January 2012
Applicant interviews. SCSCA members visit finalist
homes and meet with their guardians.
February 2012
Two students are chosen for the exchange trip and begin
an orientation program.
March 2012
Two students from Izumo visit Santa Clara for 10 days
and home stay with the families of the students
chosen for the Izumo trip.
July 2012
Two Santa Clara students visit Izumo for 10 days and
home stay with the Izumo students.
August and September
Students give presentations on their trip to the SCSCA
members and the City Council
Trip to Coimbra in 2013
November 2011
Consider hosting Coimbra student in spring of 2012
Complete both pages (1
&
2) of host application
November 2012
Application deadline for the 2013 trip
Throughout 2011, 2012 and 2013
Applicants for the Coimbra trip participate in various
SCSCA fund raisers
January 2013
Applicants are interviewed.
February 2013
Students are chosen for the trip to Coimbra.
Spring 2013
Santa Clara students visit Coimbbra for 10 days.
April and May 2013
Students give presentations on their trip to the SCSCA
members and the City Council
2011 SCI Youth Leadership Conference
Will be held September 30 - October 1, 2012 in Riverside, California |
