[inspic=1356,right,fullscreen,400]After hours and hours of traveling from our home countries and cities, we finally made it to Arao, Japan. Tired? Yes. Jet lagged? Yes, Excited? Yes.
We spent a good amount of time getting ready and prepping everything for your amazing tour. All we need now is for all of you participants to get here so we can let the adventure begin.
Get excited, get packed… We are waiting for you. Are you ready?
Yui, Jake, Bertha, Hiro, Hideto and Celi,
Your staff members.
[inspic=1350,,fullscreen,400][inspic=1349,,fullscreen,400]
Our trip to Japan was truly a once in a life time experience. Not only did I get to observe and experience the culture, I also had the great fortune of attaining fist hand experience of their educational system through World Campus International Teacher Initiative. The entire trip was enlightening to me as an individual as well as a professional. Staying with host families really immerses you in their culture and daily routines. Having the opportunity to meet with principals and teachers, ask questions, share ideas and comments was very beneficial. Visiting castles and museums was fun and educational. I give my highest recommendation to any teacher who wants to broaden their cultural experiences and professional development. My trip with World Campus Teachers Initiative has had a profound and enriching effect on my life and career.
(Paulina Hanson – Elementary School Teacher)
World Campus Teachers Initiative is a new WCI program that brings international teachers to Japan for a week long professional development program. Our pilot program included 4 teachers from two North American Countries. Our fist city was Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Stay tuned for more stories and info from World Campus Teachers Initiative!!!
[inspic=1347,,fullscreen,250][inspic=1348,,fullscreen,400]
Standing in the shadow of the Tower of the Sun at the site of the 1970 World Peace Expo is humbling. In March, World Campus International was invited to join the 40th anniversary celebration. Our job was simple but our responsibility was much more complicated. We were asked to represent the world community. In a sea of thousands, how could 12 international participants and another 10 Japanese volunteers represent an entire planet?
During our one week WCI experience, we made many connections and friends as we are often so fortunate to do, but this week, we really brought them into our family. A local cheerleading team and a club for collage kids to practice English shared every minute with us. They joined us in rehearsal, in after program activities, and they even had a hand in teaching us part of our arigato event. It was a true honor to have so many people who did not know the organization invest so much of their time with us.
On the day of the World Exposition, we dressed up in our cultural best and stepped into the festival not knowing how we would be received. Our fears ended as soon as our first performance began. Thousands of people had a chance to see a little bit of World Campus and the community we represent. 270 people throughout the day lined up to write their hopes for a future world on paper leaves that we stuck on our “Tree of Nations.” We helped our local sponsors sell sweets as we interacted with the people who came to the festival for the day. It truly seemed that our modest group of global citizens made an impact on the festival and I know without a doubt, the 2010 World Exposition Celebration fulfilled its duty to everyone by reminding us all why we gathered there in the first place. If the enormous Tower of the sun could, I imagine it would have nodded with approval.
[inspic=1291,,fullscreen,250][inspic=1290,,fullscreen,250][inspic=1295,,fullscreen,250][inspic=1292,,fullscreen,400][inspic=1294,right,fullscreen,400]World Campus International, Inc. facilitated the Cultural Emersion Program for the members of Cirque du Soleil’s “CORTEO” from October 14 thru 15. The professional performing artists spent two days in the beautiful mountain community, Uda City in Nara Prefecture, experiencing home stay, temple visits, and a session with a Japanese sward maker, etc. In these two days, the members deeply emerged into the Japanese community and culture.
The Spring & Summer Slide Shows of most of our partner cities are now available on the “Konichiwa from Japan”-section of our Website. Please take a look!!!
