Nine students representing three high schools in Uasin Gishu, Kenya, visited Scottsdale on April 13th - 23rd. The six girls and three boys, along with their two chaperones, were home-hosted during their stay by the seven Scottsdale high school students and the chaperones who will be traveling to Kenya May 31st - June 12th. None of the Kenyan students had ever been on an airplane and, after 30+ hours of travel, were very excited about this exchange opportunity.
They spent a day attending high school with their hosts. They met with Vice Mayor Linda Milhaven, toured old town Scottsdale, visited the museum of the West, and participated in a class at ASU. They packed emergency food boxes at St. Mary's Food Bank, explored the Musical Instrument Museum, toured Pueblo Grande, and Scottsdale Community College. They hiked in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, climbed Hole-In-The Rock, enjoyed the view from South Mountain, had lunch in Chase Field, and spent a fun evening at Crackerjax. If that wasn't enough, they took a day trip to Montezuma Castle and the Grand Canyon. Earth Day (their last day in Arizona) they enjoyed a community farewell party at McCormick Stillman Railroad Park and watered a tree planted by Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago in 2014. But, what they enjoyed most, were the special relationships they developed with their host families and the warm welcome they received in Scottsdale.