During a recent city council meeting, Makhi Ostrander from the Sister Cities organization announced an exciting cultural exchange program involving five students from Decatur. This initiative marks the first student exchange with Decatur's sister city, Tokorozawa, Japan, in six years, a hiatus largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students are set to travel to Japan from July 24 to August 7, where they will stay with host families, allowing them to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and daily life. Ostrander emphasized the importance of this experience, highlighting the opportunity for the students to discover the similarities between their lives and those of the Japanese people.

The exchange program aims to foster international understanding and strengthen community ties through shared cultural experiences. As the students prepare for their journey, the city council expressed support for this initiative, recognizing its potential to enrich the participants' perspectives and promote global citizenship.