About WICEC
Welcome to our sister city exchange group, Waupaca International Cultural Exchange Committee (WICEC)! We are a committee within the City of Waupaca where our primary function is to create travel opportunities with our sister city, Mitoyo City, Japan. The group has been in existence since 1994 with Nio, Japan. Nio merged with other cities in 2006 to create Mitoyo City.
How It Works
As a part of our cultural exchange experience, a group of Waupaca area travelers travel to Mitoyo City and stay with host families. They travel between the end of July and early August and experience the Nio Dragon Festival (usually the first weekend in August) before coming back to America. The experience usually lasts 9-10 days. Student travelers are required to be entering into grades 8-11 in the summer of their travel experience, with at least one year of school remaining following their experience.
In order to travel with WICEC, we require an application and an interview with officers and representatives of the group early in the year before traveling. We also complete an informational meeting early in the year before an upcoming travel experience to review cultural and behavioral expectations while in Japan. We require a commitment to travel at that time so we and our Mitoyo City group can plan accordingly. Student travelers should be willing to embrace new experiences, be adaptable to change, and welcome people of all backgrounds. This way, we can best ensure that travelers have a beneficial experience and that we maintain a positive relationship with Mitoyo City.
Adult chaperones will also travel with the students from Wisconsin, with one chaperone per 3-4 students and no less than 2 total chaperones each travel experience. The chaperones will be active members of the club of at least 25 years old with experience hosting travelers from Japan or traveling or living in Japan. If there is an excess number of chaperones interested in traveling, we will bias toward parents or guardians of the student travelers going to Japan during the same year. We aim for a total group size of at least 8 total participants (ideally, at least 6 students with 2 chaperones).
Also as a part of the exchange experience, your family is encouraged to host a traveler from Mitoyo City on at least one occasion (and we hope more!). Your family will also be involved in fundraising, recruitment, and planning activities in order to make the exchange experiences successful. More details are below.
Our group follows this schedule for traveling:
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School Year 1:
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Consider hosting a traveler from Mitoyo City (August). This is highly recommended, but not required, to travel through WICEC.
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Participate actively in WICEC meetings, fundraisers and recruitment activities (fall)
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Apply to travel to Mitoyo City and complete a related interview (winter) and informational meetings (spring/early summer)
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Travel to Mitoyo City (late July/early August)!
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School Year 2:
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Consider hosting another traveler from Mitoyo City (August, after the trip to Mitoyo City).
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Continue to participate actively in WICEC meetings, fundraisers and recruitment activities to help us continue to sustain and grow the program for the next group of travelers (fall through spring)
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Funding
Throughout this time, your family will host at least one fundraiser and participate actively in group sponsored fundraising and recruitment events and activities. Some family sponsored fundraisers in the past have been: pizza sales, flower bulb sales, brat fries, Culver’s nights, Pizza Ranch nights, gift card sales, Waupaca Triathlon participant food set up and/or food stand, and other common school fundraiser sales. Examples of group sponsored fundraisers have included: a letter writing campaign with local businesses, Arts on the Square Artist setup help, Strawberry Fest help, school track meets, and The Filling Station Giving day events.
Our goal: We aim to raise enough funds to pay for the following:
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Half of the flight (about $900 per person) and all ground transportation while in Japan (around $250 per person) for student travelers
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The equivalent of half of the flight and all ground transportation while in Japan for up to 2 adult chaperones (split as needed if more than 2 chaperones are attending)
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Admission fees for Hiroshima Peace Center, which is included in the traveler experiences while in Japan
All other travel expenses are paid by the family sending the traveler (host family gifts, Mitoyo City travel guide gifts, spending money while traveling, etc.) If we aren’t able to raise enough money to cover these expenses, families sending travelers will be expected to cover the remaining costs. If the fundraising is above our expectations and other budgetary goals have been met, the group will plan to cover a larger portion of flight and ground travel expenses.
We also aim to raise funds to support planned group activities while travelers from Mitoyo City are visiting Wisconsin, including such things as art activities and event admissions. Family expenses during this time would include food for the traveler, any costs associated with transporting the traveler to group events, and any family day activities. As funds are available, we may be able to provide families with stipends to help offset the costs of hosting a traveler.
In addition to the above, WICEC budgets for funds to purchase items for fundraising and recruiting (such as food for concession stands and brochures), to maintain our website (domain fees), and cover a few other minor expenses that benefit the group as a whole.