Big Bend brings in Japanese ag students
Sarah Kehoe/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Big Bend Community College instructor Phil McLean teaches Japanese exchange students about agriculture in Moses Lake.
MOSES LAKE — Hundreds of Japanese students traveled to Moses Lake this week to learn about agriculture and American culture.
The students are enrolled in an 18-month Japanese Agricultural Training Program (JATP), which teaches them about United States technology and farming methods. The program has been sponsored by the Big Bend Community College Foundation and the Japanese Agricultural Exchange Council for 40 years.
“Moses Lake has a long history of having a great relationship with Japan,” said Carla Boon, operations coordinator for JATP. “The community has always been very supportive of this program and very welcoming to the students.”
The students are nominated by government officials in Japan to participate in the program. Most have graduated from a Japanese agriculture college or university.
Trainees start off at Big Bend for eight weeks. They stay in the dorms and take introductory classes, such as English as a second language, American culture and American agriculture.
“This program is a great growth opportunity for them and a life-changing experience,” Boon said.
Most of the trainees have farms at home and have never visited the United States. The students are anywhere from 19 to 30 years old.
“This program gives them the tools they need to go back home and run the family farm,” Boon said.
After the eight weeks conclude, the trainees move on to institutional training. They receive instruction in their agricultural major courses and in agricultural management, combined with field trips and laboratory demonstrations.
During this time, trainees stay with host families to have an American family experience. The intention is for trainees to build a long-term friendship with the family members they stay with, Boon explained.
The program is in need of host families. To participate, call Amy Dana at 509-793-2297 or e-mail her at amyd@bigbend.edu.
In order to host a trainee, families must pay a wage, provide the student with sufficient housing for free, provide access to personal shopping and laundry facilities and provide state required Worker’s Compensation.
“Staying with host families really helps the students learn English better and learn about American culture,” Boon said.
After institutional training, the trainees take an educational trip in the United States. They attend a closing ceremony in Seattle before heading home to Japan.
For more information, call Carla Boon at 206-306-7913.