The Missoula Sentinel High School's Academic World Quest team recently finished in second place in the March World Quest competition sponsored by the Montana World Affairs Council.

So, they have been selected to visit Japan for nine days from June 24 to July 2, to

participate in the Kakehashi project along with students from the winning Gardiner High School team.

MCPS Communications Director Hatton Littman described the mission of the trip.

“It’s designed as an ambassadorship essentially, where students can learn about Japanese culture, they’ll do a home stay, and visit with Japanese high school students,” said Littman. “The reason they won this opportunity is because they won second place in the Academic World Quest competition. Students from all of our high schools participate in that competition every year put on by the World Affairs Society, and this year was the special award that the Japanese government wanted to bestow upon the American students.”
Littman said the entire cost of the trip for the students and the teacher who will accompany them is being paid for by the Japanese government.

The team will begin their travels in Tokyo, meeting with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then eventually travel to visit Missoula’s sister city, Kumamoto, where they will attend two different high schools and stay with local families. To conclude the trip they will travel back to Tokyo, where students will be working to create a presentation to share with Ministry Officials, describing what they have learned in their travels.

The team from Gardiner, Montana won the event, with Missoula Sentinel taking second place.

Students from Missoula Sentinel also recently returned from a trip to Carnegie Hall in New York City after being chosen out of dozens of high school bands across the country.

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