Help 2000 students from US & Japan connect online!

We are excited to share that we successfully wrapped up the 10^th year of Global Classmates, our virtual language and cultural exchange program! We had 76 high schools (38 pairs) with 2,130 students participate from across the U.S. and Japan. While this year’s program began a little more normal than last year with many U.S. schools back to holding classes in-person, there were continued challenges. Many schools had to switch back and force between in-person and virtual classes depending on the evolving conditions of the pandemic and the teachers had to constantly adjust their schedules and plans. However, thanks to the great teamwork and dedication between teachers and coordinators, we were able to deliver a great program and the student exit survey results indicate that 97% of the students were satisfied with the program, an all-time high!

In addition, we were able to bring back the two special projects that allow students to connect and engage on a deeper level this year – Omiyage Exchange and Video Koshien.

Omiyage Exchange is asmall gift exchange with the partner school. Students collect or make small gifts that represent them, their culture, their school, and their community and they mail them to their partner classmates in one box.  It brought us so much joy to see the sheer delight on students’ faces as they open the omiyage gifts from their partner classmates. We could see that a lot of thought went into selecting the items to send and it was wonderful to see all pairs be able to participate in the project this year!

Video Koshien is a program-wide video contest in which participating schools submit short student-created videos based on the theme provided by KAC. This year’s theme was “connection” and many schools submitted impressive videos showcasing what connection mean to them and what role it plays in their lives. You can check out the winning videos here: https://kacultures.org/english/global-classmates/video-koshien 

It has been amazing to see the students build confidence in their communication skills, learn about each other’s countries, and make new friends from another country. We have heard that many students are staying in touch since the program ended in February, continuing to chat with one another via social media, exchanging emails, and arranging video calls! This is just the start of their journey as global citizens and we are excited to continue to support them through our Global Classmates Community – our online community to provide international opportunities to young people from all walks of life. https://kacultures.org/english/join-our-community .