Independence Japanese Sister City

08/08/2026

Week One of the Independence Japanese Sister City Student Exchange is in the books, and what a week it's been!

Our Japanese student delegates, host families, and alumni stayed busy from start to finish:

Day 1: Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

Day 2: Road trip to St. Joseph for the Pony Express National Museum and Patee House Museum & Jesse James Home

Day 3: The Independence 76 Fire Company Museum, glass making and puppet museum at Englewood Arts

Day 4: Breakfast with Mayor Kevin King and City of Independence, MO, Government, then a full day at Weatherby Lake, Missouri with all of our delegates and alumni.

Day 5: Kansas City Day, Part 1! Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, National WWI Museum and Memorial, lunch and shopping at Crown Center, a tour of Union Station Kansas City, and we closed the day out at KC Wheel and mini golf.

Watching these students build friendships across languages and memories is the best!

Thank you to all the business and folks that have made their first week special!

Here's to week two!

Send a message to learn more

08/07/2026

08/06/2026

All the things! Paddleboard, lilypad, fishing,boat ride, picnic, and Nema the cat! Fun fact: Weatherby Lake in the top 10 cleanest lakes in Missouri! DAY 5 Summer Exchange!

08/06/2026

Day 5 Lake Day! Thanks to our alumni, we had a PERFECT day on beautiful Weatherby Lake!

08/05/2026

08/05/2026

Riding the historic Seagrave Fire Engine in Independence MO.

08/04/2026

Day 2 of the 2026 Exchange at Pony Express Museum! We had a wonderful time learning about this unique time in history. We were guests of the museum, and then they treated us to a beautiful lunch in the Pony Bar. We all got to try Rootbeer and Sasparillo. So much fun! Thank you Pony Express and Cindy Daffron!

02/06/2026

UPDATE - We've raised $1,225 dollars towards the $10,000 goal! Can we get to $3,500 by the end of February?

A group of 10 awesome students from Independence and Fort Osage have been selected for our sister-city exchange in Higashimurayama, Japan this summer.

This isn’t just a trip — it’s a two-week immersion where they’ll live with host families, attend school, explore history, practice Japanese, and build friendships across the world. They come back as cultural ambassadors with broader perspectives and deeper understanding — experiences that shape lives.

Our community can help support the costs for the students!

Check out the GoFundMe and consider donating, even $5 or $10 helps:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-sister-city-student-exchange-to-japan

Every share matters too — if you’re not in a place to donate, please share this with friends, family, or coworkers.

Let’s help these young leaders step into the world with confidence, curiosity, and pride in representing Missouri. ✈️🌸

Hello family, friends, and community supporters! We ar… Danijela Nenadic-Book needs your support for Support Our Sister City Student Exchange to Japan

12/29/2025

Hey friends — big ask with a huge payoff ❤️🌏

A group of 10 awesome students from Independence and Fort Osage have been selected for a rare sister-city exchange in Higashimurayama, Japan this summer. This isn’t just a trip — it’s a two-week immersion where they’ll live with host families, attend school, explore history, practice Japanese, and build friendships across the world. They come back as cultural ambassadors with broader perspectives and deeper understanding — experiences that shape lives.

But here’s the hitch: the cost for flights, insurance, transportation, and program fees adds up fast. That’s where our community can really make a difference.

Check out the GoFundMe and consider donating, even $5 or $10 helps:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-sister-city-student-exchange-to-japan

Every share matters too — if you’re not in a place to donate, please share this with friends, family, or coworkers.

Let’s help these young leaders step into the world with confidence, curiosity, and pride in representing Missouri. ✈️🌸



https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-sister-city-student-exchange-to-japan

Hello family, friends, and community supporters! We ar… Danijela Nenadic-Book needs your support for Support Our Sister City Student Exchange to Japan

12/02/2025

🎁 Help Us Build Bridges This Holiday Season! ✨ Goal: $5,000 by December 31

We’re raising $5,000 to support the 2026 Sister City Student Exchange — when students from Independence will travel to Japan in June, and host students from Japan in August. Your donation helps fund language prep, cultural programs, and our hosting activities that make the exchange possible. 💙 100% of funds go directly to the program — our committee is fully volunteer-run. Donate through the Truman Heartland Community Foundation (link in comment or in bio)