By Daiki Ueda | English Teacher, Kyoto Rakuhoku High School
In April 2025, Kyoto Rakuhoku High School, where I work, formally entered into a sister school agreement with Falls Church High School in the United States. I strongly feel that this milestone was made possible by the exchanges and friendships that students from both schools have nurtured online over the past four years, as well as by the solid foundation provided by the Global Classmates program organized by Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC).
Our exchange with Falls Church High School began in 2021, at a time when the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year, 25 to 30 students from our school have participated, sharing their hobbies and cultures with one another in both English and Japanese. I have been in charge of the program since 2023, and one particularly memorable initiative was the OMIYAGE EXCHANGE, in which students mailed gifts to each other. The sight of students cheering with excitement as they opened letters and packages that had crossed the ocean remains vivid in my memory. Through these experiences, a desire to learn more about the wider world and to one day understand more deeply the people they talk to online has gradually and steadily taken root among the students.
Falls Church High School is a highly multicultural institution, with students whose native languages number more than 40, making it an ideal partner for learning about diversity. Under the new agreement, we plan to expand our exchange beyond online interactions to include initiatives such as short term student exchange visits between our schools. Through these sister school exchanges, even more students will have the opportunity to experience the joy of connecting with the world.
As these exchanges deepen, their impact is being felt not only at the institutional level but also in the individual challenges taken on by students themselves. In the summer of 2025, one of our students was inspired by the online exchange and developed a strong desire to meet and talk in person. She applied to the Global Classmates Summit organized by KAC and was selected to participate. During approximately two weeks in Washington, D.C., spent with high school students from Japan and the United States, she challenged herself to communicate beyond language barriers through experiences such as a visit to the U.S. Department of State, volunteer activities, and communal living.
After returning to Japan, she shared the following reflection:
“At first, I was anxious, but by continuing dialogue while respecting each other’s identities, I was able to build friendships and trust that transcended national borders. By the time it was over, I felt like I did not want to go home because it was such a fulfilling experience.”
The importance of having one’s own voice and expressing it within a different culture, which she experienced firsthand, is exactly what we hope our students will gain through these programs. The seeds planted through Global Classmates are now taking root within each student and growing into meaningful challenges and aspirations.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Kizuna Across Cultures for opening the door to the world for our students, as well as to the donors of GlobalGiving who continue to support this initiative. Your support is transforming young people’s lives and serving as a bridge that connects the global community of the future.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
