This week, University High School welcomed eight students and three educators, including their principal, from Nagano High School in Kawachinagano, Japan, for the first student exchange between the two schools.
The visit was the latest step in a relationship that began last spring, when Carmel Sister Cities International invited University to explore a sister school partnership with Nagano High School. In the spring of 2025, two Nagano educators visited University for three days, spending time in classes and meeting with students and faculty. Their visit culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding formally establishing the sister school partnership and laying the groundwork for future student and faculty exchanges.
This week, that partnership came to life for students for the first time.
During their time in Indiana, the visiting students stayed with University host families and spent three days attending classes alongside their host students, experiencing daily life as Trailblazers.
They also had a chance to introduce Nagano High School and Kawachinagano to the University community. During Community Meeting, the students shared facts about their school and city through a trivia game (did you know they have sheep on campus?) and then got the entire school involved in a Japanese version of rock-paper-scissors.
The week also celebrated a connection that extends beyond the two schools. University students and our Japanese guests joined City of Carmel leaders for a special tree-planting ceremony recognizing the sister-city relationship between Carmel and Kawachinagano. The tree, a gift from the City of Kawachinagano, was planted in Carmel in honor of the partnership. Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam, University Head of School Alicia LaMagdeleine, and members of the Nagano delegation and University host families attended.
The week’s visit concluded with a reception bringing together the Japanese guests, University host families, faculty, and staff. University’s Director of International Programs, Shannon Swann, and Head of School Alicia LaMagdeleine shared remarks, as did Nagano High School’s principal, who reflected on the visit and the growing relationship between the two schools. The schools also exchanged gifts, with our guests presenting University with several thoughtful gifts from Japan. University’s gifts included canvases created by University parent and artist Tish Reed. Even dessert celebrated the partnership, with cookies featuring the logos of both schools.
Most importantly, the week gave students from both schools the opportunity to build relationships across cultures through the very ordinary experiences of going to class, spending time with families, sharing meals, playing games, and simply getting to know one another.
We are grateful to our University host families for opening their homes and helping make our guests’ first visit so meaningful, and to everyone who helped welcome our visitors to campus and to Carmel.
And the relationship will continue to grow. As a next step, members of the University faculty and staff hope to visit Nagano High School, continuing to build relationships and preparing for the possibility of bringing a group of University students to Kawachinagano in the future.
This week’s visit was an exciting first: the first time students experienced the partnership that began on paper last fall. We can’t wait to see where it takes them next!