“Island families are needed to host Japanese exchange students, ages 12 to 18, for three weeks this summer as part of a two-way exchange program sponsored by 4-H. The Japanese teenagers will stay with their American host families from July 29 to Aug. 19.The program is open to families living in Island County with children close in age to the Japanese participants. You don’t have to be involved with 4-H to host; you just need a willingness to share your home and your world. There is no need to know Japanese. The students have all studied English and are anxious to use it.The program gives host families a chance to share their culture, friendship and family life with an exchange student and at the same time learn about Japanese life, said Don Meehan, head of WSU/Island County. The homestays only last three weeks during summer vacation, but the effects last a lifetime.Host applications and brochures about the program are available through 4-H in Coupeville. Call 321-5111 ext. 327. Don Meehan at the 4-H office is available to answer questions, or on line at meehan@wsu.edu. Deadline for applications is June 1. This 4-H Japanese exchange program is one of the largest exchange programs involving North American and Japanese youth in the world. Since its beginning in 1972, some 30,000 students have stayed with families in 39 states, including Washington, and more than 4,000 American students have made reciprocal visits to Japan. “