TOMODACHI Regional Framework Workshop
On October 29, TOMODACHI Regional Framework Representatives and Core Committee Members from Japan and the United States gathered at Birth Lab in Tokyo for a team-building workshop. The event brought together many who had only met through video call for a long-anticipated in-person gathering aimed to foster relationships, explore successful alumni engagement models, envision new possibilities for the community, and use creative expression to reflect on personal aspirations and shape the alumni network’s vision.
The workshop started with a presentation by guest speaker Madoka Yokota Kobayashi from the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Tokyo. Ms. Kobayashi shared a case study of JAC-US (Japan Alumni Community of U.S. Exchange Programs), titled ‘Best Practices for Success in Alumni Engagement Strategies at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo.’ She highlighted four key factors: a clear mission and vision, dedicated core members/alumni motivation, strengthened connections through networking, and U.S. Embassy support/collaboration with consulates. She kindly remarked that the support of TOMODACHI was instrumental in the success of JAC-US along with support from the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulates. The presentation was followed by a short discussion of key takeaways from Ms. Kobayashi’s talk and the future potential of the TOMODACHI community.
The second half of the event was a musubi workshop led by Miki Yamada, founder of Warai Musubi (waraimusubi.com). The collaborative creation of “omusubi”, symbolizing connection and creation, was meant to bring each group closer together. Each group made omusubi art, each with its own theme. At the end, each group shared their omusubi art and key takeaways from the process. “I really liked the intentionality… because I could have just made musubi at home and it would have just been food, but because we did it with the intention of connecting with each other it makes for a more meaningful process,” shared Max Malmud, alumnus of the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program as program leader and current Hawaii Regional Representative for the TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Framework.
