Help 2000 students from US & Japan connect online!

Over the past ten years, KAC has engaged more than 14,000 high school students across Japan and the United States through our Global Classmates virtual exchange program. During the program, students exchange messages in both English and Japanese on a variety of casual and familiar topics that allow them to enjoy communicating in a foreign language with their peers abroad and deepening their understanding of other cultures. To further develop the program, we piloted Global Classmates Plus (GCP) this past year with five exchange pairs. GCP added an element to the existing Global Classmates, aimed to elicit diverse perspectives and questions from students about both their own and their partner countries/cultures, which led to a meaningful dialogue. These interactions fostered higher-level thinking and discussion skills, as well as cross-cultural awareness and an interest in international society and global issues.   

First, students came up with their impressions of each other’s country by making a list of things that came to mind and compiling them on a board. Next, the board was shared with their partner classmates and they asked each other questions and analyzed their impressions, how these impressions were formed, and to what extent they reflect reality. The students were able to recognize the image their country and culture tends to give people and the process by which these impressions are formed, as well as the importance of spreading correct understanding and being aware of stereotypes.

From the themes that emerged during the country impression workshop, students chose topics (or issues) they wanted to explore further to deepen the dialogue. The topics selected include food scarcity in wealthy nations, racial diversity, and healthy lifestyle. During the discussions, the background of each topic (values, history, etc.) was examined and diverse opinions were exchanged. The students gained powerful insight by 1) comparing and contrasting each other’s countries and learning about initiatives taking place that are not in their own country, thus gaining more diverse ideas and solutions, and 2) realizing that even the world’s most difficult issues may be solved by working together with peers abroad.

Here is what the teachers had to say about their students participating in GCP.

“The students learned that their value system is not the standard and they became more willing to research and learn on their own. In addition, I saw the students try to solve problems by having discussions on their own in many more situations I believe this is because they had a successful experience that made them feel that they can solve problems on their own through the exchange. They were challenged to discuss topics ranging from nuclear weapons to racial issues. I believe that the actual experience of exchanging opinions on such topics at their age with their peers from a different culture was truly valuable for the students.”

“Although topics such as peace, race, and health are difficult even for adults to discuss, the most significant growth was that students were able to think about their own opinions, explain their reasons, and show respect for others’ opinions. For example, the group that discussed eating habits started out with the topic lunch and being impressed by the amazing bento lunches of Japanese students. From there, they became interested in Japanese food culture and healthy eating, leading to a serious discussion about how to have a healthier diet. They discussed not only the types of food, but also the idea that home-cooked food filled with love is healthy, and I felt that the students understood the Japanese bento culture.”

We are excited to expand GCP to seven pairs for the 2022-23 Global Classmates program year, which will start in September!