TOMODACHI Supports Tohoku High School Students to Participate in HLAB TOHOKU 2016

From August 14-21, 2016, sixty high school students (ranging from sophomores to seniors) experienced an American style liberal arts based educational program through HLAB TOHOKU 2016. TOMODACHI Initiative funded participants from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures for this summer school program which took place in the towns of Onagawa and MinamiSanriku in Miyagi prefecture in the Tohoku region. Through this program, students were able to learn and experience various approaches to achieving their goals by engaging in a community outside of their school and out of their comfort zone.

Every morning, the students engaged in liberal arts based courses and seminars om areas that are not generally taught in Japanese schools, such as Robotics and Negotiation. In the afternoons, the participants attended workshops that taught them about the past, present, and future of Onagawa. The students had the opportunity to participate in activities such as learning how to handle and shuck scallops to hearing about people’s experiences from the Great East Japan Earthquake.

In the evenings, several speakers from different backgrounds were invited, such as Osaka government officials and local fish farmers. They discussed topics of interest to the high school students including career options and education.

Mai Yamamoto who participated in the program reflected, “The speech by Onagawa Mayor, Yoshiaki Suda, left a strong impression on me, when he said, ‘I felt personally responsible for revitalizing the city but in a way that I can feel proud to bestow to the future generation. We all have been working toward revitalization with this mindset, together. Not just me.’ Whenever I become confused about the next step I should take, I recall those words spoken by the Mayor. This program has enabled me to make friends that I can speak freely with, completely trust and confide in about my challenges. For the future, I would like to open doors to my path along with the friends that I have made in Onagawa.”