The one month homestay runs from the third week in July to the third week in August. The Japanese youth travel with English-speaking adult chaperones. Through organizations in Japan, these young people have worked very hard to study both language and culture. They have their own medical insurance and spending money. Enthusiasm is the main qualification.
Host families attend orientation sessions and correspond with the Japanese youth prior to the visit.
The emphasis of the exchange is for the Japanese youth to experience what home life in Nebraska is like. Families with a child 12 - 18 years of age may host a youth for the month long stay. Families with younger children, singles, or retired couples may host an adult chaperon for two weeks. March 1 Summer Outbound United States youth ages 12 - 19 travel to Japan with other U.S. youth, and each youth stays with a host family for one month. Many times, the American youth will elect to stay with the family of the Japanese youth that had been earlier hosted by their family.