Throughout the year, in addition to individual students, INTERLINK at SPU welcomes groups who take part in our core program or special customized programs. One such group is sponsored by the York-Benimaru Foundation of Japan.
The York-Benimaru Foundation of Japan sponsors high school students from Fukushima, Japan to study English and culture at INTERLINK at SPU for ten days before traveling to Manitoba, Canada to live with for a short period with local families. Groups have been coming to study since 2000.
In addition to their English and culture classes, the students and their chaperones take field trips to experience local culture. They visit Pike Place Market, the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden, Safeco Field to see a Mariners baseball game, Nikkei Manor to meet elderly residents of Japanese heritage, and the Ballard Boys and Girls Club to play with local kids and share Japanese culture. The students live in SPU dormitories and meet other students from around world who are also studying at our Center.
INTERLINK relies on years of experience and takes advantage of Seattle’s extensive opportunities for engagement to provide a top-notch English and cultural experience for short-term groups of students.
— Annie Roy, York Group Program Site Coordinator
