Studying abroad is a shared desire of many Horizon Honors students, and maybe you’re one of those wishful thinkers. Fortunately for you, you now have the opportunity to chase that dream thanks to the 2018 Tempe Sister Cities Student Exchange. It may sound like a mouthful, but the process to register is anything but.

The program is open to juniors living in the Tempe region. You must be a U.S. citizen in good health (by doctor’s verification) to apply. The program is cost-free, as the host family and the Tempe Sister City Exchange Program will cover the costs of living. Upon meeting these requirements, Tempe juniors must fill out the online or paper copy of the application form and submit it by December 15, 2017, no later than 5 p.m. The program officials will then review the applications and begin the selection process.

According to the Tempe Sister City Corporation, all applicants must participate in three individual interviews conducted by the program officials, attend an informal dinner party, and lastly, mingle at a social function with their parents. Selected applicants will be announced on March 9, 2018, and thereafter will be required to attend a party that evening at the Hackett House, a historic hall that hosts events for programs like the Tempe Sister City Exchange Program. Additionally, the parents of the applicant need to attend all of the program’s orientations to conclude the registration procedure.

A few cities that selected applicants, also known as the Tempe Ambassadors, can visit are Regensburg, Germany; Skopje, Macedonia; Lower Hutt, New Zealand; Zhenjiang, China; Beaulieu sur Mer, France; Carlow, Ireland; Cuenca, Ecuador; Cusco, Peru; and Trollhattan, Sweden. The Ambassadors will spend five weeks in the city of their choice and then return home to Tempe.

Not a junior yet? Have no fear! The program is offered every year to Tempe students, although it may not publicized in the Horizon Honors Eblast annually. Once you approach that grade, make sure to revisit the opportunity. It truly is a once-and-a-lifetime chance to do something few high school students will ever be able to do.

For more information concerning the Tempe Sister City Exchange, deadlines, requirements, and application/selection process, visit the Tempe Sister City Corporation at  the Tempe Sister Cities website.