LEWISTON — Lewiston-Porter High School students Brandon Doring and Theodore Wishowski have had a lot of extra work to do. It will not mean any extra credit but carries at least one perk: a trip to Japan.

The Lew-Port juniors will fly halfway around the world Monday to a Japanese high school, where they will join students from around the globe in an event dubbed the International Water Forum 2010.

Brandon and Theodore, both 17, will serve as ambassadors, offering the Japanese insight into how water from the nearby falls and Niagara River is harnessed for energy in local communities.

It’s above and beyond a typical science project, to be sure, but well worth the extra effort.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Theodore said. “It’s Japan. It’s the other side of the world. I can’t wait.”

The boys have been working on their forum presentation for months, including trips to the Welland Canal and State Power Authority. They have mastered their subject matter, even creating their own turbine using polyvinyl chloride pipe and a motor to harness power from household faucets.

The two will represent one of the few schools outside of Japan, with others coming from England, Indonesia, China, Korea, Canada and Illinois.

Ritsumeikan Moriyama Senior High School, about 10 miles from Kyoto, is hosting the event to explore solutions to water shortages and pollution problems in Japan.

Both students say the trip will help prepare them for college — Brandon is interested in environmental science while Theodore is eyeing chemical engineering. The Japan visit is an extension of a growing international program at Lew-Port, which includes student exchanges with China, Argentina and Belgium, Principal Paul Casseri said.

“Given our leaps internationally and how water has played a role in our region, this was a natural fit,” Casseri said. “Our water abundance in this area may truly be our future and have a significant impact economically for us. If we can somehow be a voice in conserving water resources, that’s huge.”

Colleen Glor, an earth science teacher, and Michelle Hinchliffe, who teaches chemistry, worked with the boys on their project and also will travel to Japan for the forum.

The Japanese school is providing dormitories for the guests.

Fortunately for Brandon and Theodore, neither of whom speak Japanese, the forum’s official language is English. With their presentation rehearsed and ready, they need to take care of only a few final matters — namely, buying slippers.

“I got a few books on Japanese culture outlining what to do and what not to do,” Brandon said. “The slippers and bathroom situation is a little bewildering. When entering a home, you have to take off your shoes and put on slippers. And you need a different pair of slippers when you go to the bathroom.”

Theodore bought some pool deck shoes as indoor slippers, though they may not be a perfect match: “I’m going to be all dressed up — and I’m going to be wearing slippers,” he said.