About Us
What is MUSC?
Mukowgawa U.S. Campus, established in 1990, is one of the study abroad campuses of Mukogawa Women's University (MWU) in Nishinomiya, Japan. MWU has graduated over 100,000 students with a variety of majors. The total immersion program at MUSC is an essential part of the comprehensive English curriculum for English and other majors at MWU.
Students spend 15 weeks in the Fall or Spring semester, attending classes in Reading, Writing, Conversation and American Studies. While they are in Spokane they have the opportunity to experience a Homestay Weekend with a Host Family for just one weekend!
What is Homestay Weekend?
Japanese female university students are assigned to a Host Family, in pairs, to participate in typical family weekend activities. This may include making dinner, shopping, going to a soccer game, visiting relatives, playing a board game, going on a hike, or celebrating a birthday. Host Families pick up their students on Friday after classes (before 8:00 pm) and return students the same weekend on Sunday evening. This one weekend Homestay experience provides families with an excellent opportunity to learn about another culture, share their American values and traditions, and create lasting memories.
How do I know if I am qualified to host?
Do you love to talk? Do you enjoy meeting new people? Are you interested in learning about another culture? If yes, then you will love our program!
Host Families provide their students with a private place to sleep (students can share a full or queen size bed), meals in the home, transportation to and from campus, and an opportunity to participate in a typical weekend. Students bring their own spending money for personal needs, souvenirs, entertainment and other incidentals. They follow household rules and are invited to participate in all aspects of American family life. You will find that hosting our students is just like adding more members to your family.
What are the rewards of becoming a Host Family?
IT'S FASCINATING! Host Families learn so much about Japan and the culture from their MUSC students. Traditional arts and crafts, songs, children's games, and cooking as well as a glimpse of everyday Japanese family life are just a few of the things our students offer a Host Family.
IT'S REWARDING! MUSC students love and greatly appreciate the opportunity to spend time with an American Host Family. Homestay Weekend is always considered one of their greatest and most treasured memories of America. Families and students often become friends for life!
IT'S FUN! Experiencing life with members of another culture gives new perspective to many ordinary situations. You will always remember the glint in a student's eye as she rolls out the pastry for her first apple pie or bikes with your family along the Centennial Trail. You will enjoy meeting her family through her photo album while sharing your own family photos. Your children will treasure the origami box or crane folded by the students, or giggle remembering their (or your!) first attempt with chopsticks.