Inaugural TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy Brings Together Students and Teachers from Japan and the United States
Cross-Cultural STEM Exchange Program Kicks Off August 2 in Tokyo
Students and teachers from Japan and the United States will come together in early August for the inaugural TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy in Tokyo, Japan. The week-long program is designed to foster closer ties between American and Japanese participants, to nurture a strong sense of STEM literacy, and to inspire the use of science and technology to address some of the world’s most complex issues in the future.
Toshiba created the academy in partnership with the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Japan, that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges, as well as science, engineering, and leadership programs.
Program Overview
The TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy is a week-long, cross-cultural exchange program where students and teachers from Japan and the United States work in teams to develop proposed solutions to global issues using learning experiences that are central to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). During their time in Japan, participants from both countries will work together to develop a disaster-resilient, smart community of the future with counsel from Toshiba engineers.
The academy, which is sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the NSTA under the U.S.-Japan Council, links the TOMODACHI Initiative’s roots in disaster recovery as well as strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, and Toshiba’s founding commitment to technological innovation, and the company’s passion for science and technology education.
Eligibility
In the United States, past participants of the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision program in grades 8-11, and high school teachers who are also NSTA members were eligible to apply. Their Japanese counterparts were selected from high schools who promote strong achievements in science and mathematics education and international student exchanges.
Program Period
August 2 – 7, 2014
Place
Tokyo, Japan
Participants
We selected 16 students and nine teachers from Japan and the United States.
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership includes approximately 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
About Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision is a science competition that goes beyond the typical student science competition and into what it takes to bring ideas to reality. A teacher will sponsor and lead his/her students as they work in groups of 2 – 4 to simulate real research and development. A teacher will guide his or her students as they pick a current technology, research it, envision what it might look like in 20 years, and describe the development steps, pros & cons, and obstacles. Past winners have envisioned technologies ranging from a hand-held food allergen detector to a new device to help people who have lost limbs regain movement in real time.
