April 17, 2020 – After careful consideration, the Midland-Handa Sister City Committee and Handa City, Japan Sister City Committee have cancelled the 2020 Sister City Student Exchange amid ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program will resume in summer 2021, at which time the committee will welcome students from Handa, Japan to Midland for a three-week stay. Families interested in hosting a Japanese student for the 2021 Student Exchange should look for more information in early 2021 or contact the Sister City Committee via email at midlandhanda@gmail.com.
Since the Midland-Handa Sister City Student Exchange began in 1982, more than 85 students from both communities have traveled to Japan and the United States to learn about each other’s culture, experience new ways of life, and better understand the connection between the two Sister Cities. The two cities welcome students from Midland and Handa to their respective countries in alternating years.
For more information on the Sister City Student Exchange, visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/studentexchange.
