International students will be arriving in Prince Albert after the Prince Albert Catholic School Division approved in principle an agreement to have several Japanese students visit next year.

Before COVID-19, St. Mary High School hosted students from Kenmei School in Japan. The school has indicated they would like to visit again between March 19 and April 14, 2024.

“They have some planning and processes that they are going to need to achieve in order to bring international students into our country for the purpose of a visit and an educational experience as a visitor,” so they have got some work to do,” education director Lorel Trumier said. “We want to make sure that the board is in agreement with these guests coming to our school division for a period of time.”

The proposal is for 15 to 20 students and two staff to visit Ecole St. Mary. Jeannette Eddols, who has facilitated the visit in the past, will be in charge again. Global Partners, the organization that used to facilitate the event, no longer exists but the visit is being planned by a similar organization.

The Kenmei students and staff would be based in a classroom at St. Mary and be invited to take part in classes like Drama and Physical Education. One example of something that students can do is take part in curling at the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Centre.

The approval is in principle so items such as insurance and the Kenmai people like to organize up to a year in advance for the visit.

“We are excited it is a really lovely opportunity for both the Japanese students and our students at the high school to make friends internationally in a safe way and in a way that we can get to know some of our guests and they can learn some Canadian culture and we can learn from their culture,” Trumier said.

Trumier has taken part in the event in the past and looks forward to the eventual return.

“I think it’s such a wonderful experience,” she said. “I was at the high school several years ago and got to meet and see some of the students that were coming and they do a great job when they come. It’s an organization that is well known to us and a school that’s well known to us.”