Summer Camp Report!

Nice to meet you! I am Hikari from GLI.

 

The other day,"A journey of global exploration with local peers and NPOs abroad."I served as one of the moderators at a summer camp held under the theme of

(I am the second from the top in the left column.)

 

This was GLI's first summer program for junior high and high school students, and it was an intense four days of learning, so I thought I would write this blog to share it with you.

 

In this program,Connecting people from six different countries online, the participants experienced diverse cultures and values and exchanged opinions on national issues while traveling around the world. A place where participants can deepen their understanding of Japan and the world using EnglishThe company was

 

Day 1invited guest speakers of the same generation from Vietnam, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and topics such as culture, school life, and hot topics in their countries were discussed.

 

The guest speaker from Spain was also a vegan,Many students were interested in environmental issues and vegan diets.

 

I was surprised that although we are of the same generation, we are aware of the problems and are putting them into practice to solve them!Some were heard to say.

 

2nd dayto China and Norway.

 

Chinese students attend Japanese schools,We asked about the differences between Japan and China, and learned basic information about Norway and how social welfare works.

 

Everyone was surprised to hear that Norway has a "25%" consumption tax. But from there, we had interesting discussions, such as asking how the tax is used, and comparing Norway, which was ranked 5th in the Happiness Ranking 2020, to Japan, which was ranked 62nd.

By the second day, the tension had eased a bit,Students actively asking questions and trying to communicate with each otherIt was.

 

In the first half of the two-day online visit to the five countries, you may have learned the differences in culture and school life, and conversely, what they have in common with Japan, as well as the various problems each country faces.

 

On the third day, we invited representatives of Where Rainbows Meet, a non-profit organization working in Cape Town, South Africa, for a workshop. (The photo shows some of their activities.)

They provide soup kitchens, vocational training and public health instruction in poor communities living in areas called townships. (Click here for the organization's website. http://www.whererainbowsmeet.org/)

 

South Africa is a very diverse country with many ethnic groups and 11 official languages. However, the country faces various problems such as poverty and high unemployment, and what we heard directly from the South Africans was unimaginably harsh.

 

In addition,The participation fee for this summer program was a donation to support their activities.(The picture here illustrates the support we provide in the community.)

From the students,

 

What do you enjoy most about being active?"

Why did you decide to start this activity?"

How do you raise funds for your activities?"

What are your goals in your activities?"

 

The participants were able to exchange opinions directly with NPOs engaged in problem-solving on the ground.Seeing the students seriously thinking about what they could do after finishing their questions made me realize the significance of this program.

 

andlast dayIn summary of the three days that were filled with a lot of fun and excitement. To summarize the three days that were filled with a lot of fun,Presentations in English one by oneThe company has conducted a

The students were asked to set their own topics from what they had learned in this summer program, incorporate what they had researched and their opinions and thoughts on those topics, and present them freely.

 

The topics chosen by the students were,

 

Comparison of Norway and South Africa

What is a non-profit organization and what are its activities?

About Apartheid

How taxpayers' money is spent

What can we do to protect the environment?

What I can do about South Africa's problems

 

These included. I am proud of the students who, with little time to prepare, gave excellent presentations, making the most of what they had learned over the three days.

 

Here.Here is a presentation by one of the participantsI will do so.

 

This summer program is,I would be happy if this program could be an opportunity for the participating students to think about the world and to fly out into the world.

 

In addition to my regular English study, I would like to continue to create opportunities for people to experience the joy of learning about the world using English!

 

Thank you to the 8 students who participated and to the guest speakers from 6 different countries! We look forward to seeing everyone again!

 

GLI Hikari

 

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