Student Exchange Program - Chaperone Application
Terms and Conditions for Chaperone Application 2025
1. The chaperones will be in charge of 8-10 students, aged 15 to 18 and will be responsible for escorting them from Dubbo to Sydney and on to Minokamo in Japan and back to Dubbo. Exchange visits include a side trip to Tokyo in Japan. Experience in supervising children/teenagers on school or sporting excursion is an advantage.
2. The exchange is reciprocal and you will be asked to billet one of the visiting chaperones at your home during their visit to Dubbo in late July/August 2025 (negotiable). Previous participant's have found home staying a teacher from Minokamo to be a very rewarding experience.
3. During your stay in Minokamo you will be responsible for the students and must ensure they behave in a manner suitable for young ambassadors of the Dubbo Region and Dubbo Regional Council. You will also be responsible for their physical and emotional wellbeing and will need to offer comfort and reassurance in the event that a student is ill or experiences home sickness. An English-speaking interpreter will facilitate all aspects of your visit while in Japan including; tour arrangements, placement of students and chaperones with host families and tour guide in Tokyo and Minokamo.
4. The total cost of the visit including return airfares, internal transfers, travel insurance, most meals and side trips to Tokyo and Tokyo Disneyland will be around $4,857 (cost based on 2024). Dubbo Regional Council subsidies the cost by $1,000 per chaperone, so the cost to you will be around $3,857. This is an estimated quote and may vary at the time of booking. The travel arrangements are organised by Council through a local travel agent who has successfully made the bookings and other arrangements for the program for the past five years.
5. All other personal costs are to be borne by the chaperones.
6. Chaperones will be billeted with a local family in Minokamo, this substantially reduces the cost of the visit.
7. The duration of the exchanges are 12 to 14 days, and the exchange will be scheduled in the Sept/Oct School holidays - 28 September to 11 October 2025.
8. Chaperones will be required to attend four cultural training and language sessions with the students to prepare for the visit (one session per week over four weeks in the lead up to departure, between 4-6 pm). They will also have to prepare a report to present to Dubbo Regional Council and the Sister City Advisory Committee following the sister city exchange trip.
9. There are two chaperone positions for exchange and Council accepts applications from individuals or couples.
10. Selection is on merit, and you will be asked to attend an interview at Dubbo Regional Council as part of this application process.
11. The successful applicants will be required to hold and supply details of their Working with Children Check. The successful applicant must be able to successfully secure the required visas and not have any past issues that may compromise the securing of required visas.
12. This is a unique travel opportunity as your Japanese hosts are extremely generous and you are guaranteed to be overcome by the level of hospitality extended to you during your stay in Minokamo.
Application close 9am Monday 21 April 2025.
For further information, please contact the Sister City Officer: Daisy Wang on 02 6801 4403 or email: daisy.wang@dubbo.nsw.gov.au
Last Edited: 24 Feb 2025