TOMODACHI Alumni Participate on the Drucker for Future Japanese Leaders (DFJL) Program
Over the course of one week in late July and early August 2013, ten TOMODACHI alumni went to Claremont, California, for the Drucker for Future Japanese Leaders (DFJL) program. In the mornings they attended class and in the afternoons they participated in a variety of activities.
Presented by the Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University, where Peter Drucker taught for over 30 years, DFJL is a unique, one-week Introduction to Management program that empowers Japanese high school students to be more effective in their own pursuits and to bring about positive change in their communities. Whereas traditional schooling is focused on knowledge acquisition, DFJL trains students to put that knowledge into action to achieve results.
Outside of class, the TOMODACHI students participated in several activities, including meeting with admissions officers of the Claremont Colleges, speaking with American college students as part of an entrepreneurship panel, and watching a movie on the College Quad. They also spent two afternoons with American high school students, with whom they collaborated to solve a team-based “geocaching” scavenger hunt using GPS devices and organized an impressive talent show.
The TOMODACHI students spent one day in Los Angeles, where they met with executives at a major nonprofit, heard from the founder of a boutique fashion company, toured a movie studio, and visited the Japanese American National Museum. Throughout the week, the students slept in the college dormitories and ate at the campus cafeteria. At the end of the program, they were awarded certificates as part of a formal graduation ceremony, and each was presented with a leadership-related adjective (e.g. “curious,” “perseverant,” “creative”) that the program directors felt matched their personalities and their achievements from the week.
It was a great week full of learning and fun.
Photos
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Voices from the TOMODACHI Generation
“Too fun!”
“Thank you very much! DFJL is my unforgettable experience.”
“I really appreciate Lawrence [the instructor] and all of those related to this program. Thank you so much.”
“I learned management in detail. Thank you!”
“I want to study here more. Thank you very much!”