As the purpose of school excursions is shifting from "learning" to "experience," the value of educational tours that incorporate overnight stays is attracting attention. Especially in Okinawa Prefecture, Izena Island, where students can experience nature and human contact unique to remote islands, has been chosen by many schools as a place to stay overnight.
By staying with a local family, students can "experience" Okinawan culture and lifestyle, and experience spiritual growth that they cannot get in urban areas. In this issue, we would like to introduce why a homestay on Izena Island is the best choice for a school excursion.
Staying at a Homestay on Izena Island is an Experience to Feel the Warmth of Home
Each host family offers a different kind of experience at the homestay on Izena Island. You can spend time together in the daily routine of the home, such as cooking together, helping in the fields, or tending to the cattle.
By immersing themselves in the rhythm of life there, rather than in a set curriculum, students are able to feel the "warmth of home" and the warmth of human relationships. Many students show facial expressions that they do not show at school.
You can experience the family business, old-time games, and other unique experiences unique to Izena.
The overnight stay experience on Izena Island is not just a touristy activity. With one family, you will experience harvesting sugarcane, and with another, you will spend a day in animal husbandry tending cattle. In addition, you may enjoy traditional local games with your hosts, and each experience is imbued with the unique background and "feelings" of that family. The warmth of the experience, as if you were visiting a relative's house, will remain in the hearts of the students.
Why Izena Island Continues to be Chosen for "School Trip x Homestay
The school excursion overnight stay on Izena Island is highly satisfactory to the students, and many of the teachers who led the trip said, "I learned something that I could only get here. Even without special facilities or staging, the people-to-people relationships make the trip memorable. This is the reason why Izena Island continues to be chosen as a "place I want to come back to. The time each student spends as a "part of the island" will be a treasure for a lifetime.