FamilyMart and Lawson to Support the First Online Program for Students from Three Tohoku Prefectures through the TOMODACHI Combini Fund, Supporting the Rebuilding of Tohoku and Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders
August 31, 2020
Press Release
U.S.-Japan Council (Japan)
TOMODACHI Initiative
FamilyMart and Lawson to Support the First Online Program for Students
from Three Tohoku Prefectures through the TOMODACHI Combini Fund,
Supporting the Rebuilding of Tohoku and Investing in the Next Generation of Leaders
August 31, 2020 – The U.S-Japan Council (Japan) TOMODACHI Initiative (Representative Director, Suzanne Basalla, hereafter “TOMODACHI”), is pleased to announce the launch of the “TOMODACHI High School Career Mentoring Online Program in Tohoku supported by the TOMODACHI Combini Fund” (hereafter “the Program”). The TOMODACHI Fund (hereafter “the Fund”) was established by FamilyMart Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and President, Takashi Sawada, hereafter “FamilyMart”) and Lawson, Inc. (President and CEO, Representative Director, Chairman of the Board, Sadanobu Takemasu, hereafter “Lawson”) in 2013. The Program, which targets students in three prefectures in Tohoku (Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures), will start on October 4, 2020. The application process is open through September 18.
The Fund is supported by a part of donations from donation boxes installed at FamilyMart and Lawson stores throughout Japan, and donations from other venues: Matching Gifts (corporate donations) from FamilyMart which is added to the amount calculated by multiplying a certain rate to the total amount of donations from customers, Famiport donations through Famiport Terminals at FamilyMart stores, Loppi donations and point donations (Ponta points and d points) through Loppi terminals at Lawson stores, and donations from Lawson employees(both companies’ donations ended by March 2019). The Fund has supported the “TOMODACHI High School Women Career Mentoring Program in Fukushima supported by the TOMODACHI Combini Fund,” in which more than 600 female high school and university students from Fukushima have participated since the program started in 2015.
The Program that will be held in 2020 has broadened its target to include female high school sophomores and juniors living in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures, and the entire program will be held online for the first time. About 90 students will participate in five sessions across four months from October 2020 to January 2021. Over the sessions, participants will have the opportunity to experience intercultural exchange through a music and dance workshop, interact with international students and female professionals who can serve as role models for the participants, and hold discussions with peers and give presentations in front of an audience. These activities aim to enable the participants to expand their horizons, express and challenge themselves, learn the importance of building their own future by themselves, and take the next step as next-generation leaders. At the end of the program, each group will connect what they have learned through the sessions and give presentations, providing the participants the chance to look back and fully absorb the experience. Even under the COVID-19 pandemic, the Program will leverage the features of an online program to enable participants and guest speakers in different areas to meet and interact through the individual sessions.
Application Details for the “TOMODACHI High School Career Mentoring Online Program in Tohoku supported by the TOMODACHI Combini Fund”
Application Criteria: female high school sophomores and juniors from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures
Number of Participants: 90 students
Program Schedule:
1. Opening Session and Team Session: October 4, 2020
2. Step 1: Global E Workshop: October 24, 25 and November 8, 2020
3. Step 2: Session with International Students Challenging Themselves Outside Their Comfort Zones: November 21 and 22, 2020
4. Step 3: Session with Female Professionals in Japan and Overseas: December 19 and 20, 2020
5. Step 4: Career Event planned by participants: January 30 and 31, 2021
Application Deadline: September 18, 2020 at 23:59
Participant Selection: September 23, 2020 (Participants will be notified via email)
Apply for the program at https://jibunmirai.com/tomodachi/
*The photos are from the program in 2019-2020.
About the TOMODACHI Initiative
The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, with support from the Government of Japan. Born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs. The initiative seeks to foster a “TOMODACHI Generation” of young American and Japanese leaders who are committed to and engaged in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, appreciate each other’s countries and cultures, and possess the global skills and mindsets needed to contribute to and thrive in a more cooperative, prosperous, and secure world. Visit us at www.tomodachi.org
About the TOMODACHI Combini Fund
Initiated by the Japan Franchise Association, the TOMODACHI Combini Fund was established in 2013 with support from FamilyMart Co., Ltd. and Lawson, Inc. This Fund supported “TOMODACHI HLAB TOHOKU 2015,” an educational program for high school students that applies the liberal arts program of Harvard University. The Fund has also supported the “TOMODACHI High School Women Career Mentoring Program in Fukushima supported by the TOMODACHI Combini Fund,” a six-month career mentoring program for female high school juniors in Fukushima Prefecture, since 2015. This Combini Fund was created to provide programs focusing on education and leadership skills that support youth in the disaster-affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Media Contact Information:
TOMODACHI Initiative
EMAIL: tomodachi@usjapancouncil.org
