THE KALAMUNDA Scout Group is inviting families in Kalamunda to open their doors for a cultural exchange opportunity as Japanese high school students seek host families in November.

Kalamunda families who have been involved in the hosting program previously say the experience of hosting has been transformative.

The Ryan family, who are a part of the Kalamunda scouts, said hosting has helped enrich their life.

“Hosting students through the scout program has been a wonderful opportunity to support Japanese students and fundraise for our community,” they said.

“Our first student, Kyoko, made such an impact that we decided to host again this year for Shinyo.

“The cultural exchange has been fantastic for our family, especially for our son, Lucas, who built life-long connections with our exchange students.

“Hosting has been such a positive experience, and we hope more families join in.

“It’s been incredible for Lucas, who now has a strong desire to visit Japan and reconnect with friends there.”

Five Kalamunda families have stepped forward to host students and the Kalamunda Scouts are looking for 10 more willing to share their homes to visitors for a three-night stay from November 23-26.

Kalamunda’s Wunderlich family will be one of the families hosting the international guests for the first time and said they were excited for the opportunity to exchange cultures.

“We thought this would be a great opportunity to expose our kids to a different culture and help them build their cultural understanding,” they said.

“It was also a chance to support the Kalamunda Scouts (to help them take part in WA’s biggest scouting experience), while giving our children the chance to experience something new.”

Families don’t need to part of the scouts to host and will be supporting Kalamunda’s scouts in attending OneCamp in 2026, which is the largest scouting experience in the state.

Host families will be invited to a community barbecue held by the Kalamunda scouts to welcome the guests and will also receive up to $300 as a hosting fee.

Kalamunda scouts aimed to empower young people through outdoor adventure, leadership, and community service.

As part of Scouts Australia, the group worked to foster skills for life while building friendships and global connections.

Kalamunda Scouts assistant cub scout leader Freda Neo said the initiative supported that goal by being the first step to building a global friendship.

“This initiative not only helps our scouts attend OneCamp, but it also gives local families a chance to experience Japanese culture firsthand and build lasting international friendships.”

More information about the program is available through contacting the GOLD team on 0482 076 423 or by visiting their website.