Category Archives: Community Partners

City Life, Community Partners, Tama City

Preserving the future

Eco Nico Center

First official day of session four… we started with a very different kind of tour. The tour of the Eco Nico Center. A fascinating garbage facility that serves the City of Tama and two more cities in the area. 80 staff members work at this facility; 60 directly in charge of the disposal of the garbage and 20 in the administration area.

You might think that Eco Nico Center is just a garbage facility but it is more than just that. At Eco Nico Center they are committed to preserving the environment by using different systems to reuse and recycle as much as possible.

They run the facility following three main principals: To reduce the burning garbage by reusing and recycling, to burn the garbage with higher temperatures so they reduce the germs that come out of it and to take as many resources out of the garbage as possible.

Japan, as we all know is a very small country if we consider the amount of people that live here and they don’t have too much space available to dump the left over ashes, so, Eco Nico Center besides all the efforts i mentioned before, they also make what they called eco sand made from the combination of cement and the ashes that are left after burning all the garbage. They use the Eco Sand for construction works and also for blocking Tsunamis.

The City of Tama is determined to recycle and reuse as much as possible, not only because they understand the importance of the subject but also because it is very encouraged by the local government to reuse, recycle and educate about the subject.

Interesting fact we learned on our visit to Eco Nico Center… Did you know the Brazilian Soccer team uses uniforms made out of plastic bottles?

City Life, City Theme Activities, Community Partners, Omura City

You can call us VIP

mayor visit

World Campus – Japan gives a unique chance to get to know Japan from the inside, not only by staying in local host families, getting involved with the community and visiting really interesting places, but also by offering opportunities like we had in Omura. Five of us went to visit the Mayor of Omura, he spoke to us about the issues he deals with in his city and also about the things he feels very proud of, like the Boat Race that happens every year right there in Omura.

He also talked to us about an unique opportunity we were about to experience during our stay in Omura, the “Fureai-no Event”, an event where more than 400 handicap people come together to play, celebrate diversity and have fun for a few hours. We were specially invited (which makes us VIP in Omura) to participate.

Check the blog in the near future to read about that amazing event!

City Life, Community Partners, Hiroshima City

Hippo life style

Hippo Family Club

Hippo Club is a language club. Not one of those clubs where you go and try to learn a new language with no results… Hippo Club works!. Upon arrival in the city of Hiroshima, we were greeted by a woman that speaks about 7 or 8 languages. Again, she speaks the languages, not just hello, thank you and goodbye, she can speak the languages thanks to the Hippo Club, and there we were, feeling a little undereducated because we spoke only four, three, two or even just one language!

The World Campus – Japan participants had the chance to interact with the Hippo Family Club next morning; we played games, sang songs and had a great time speaking different languages, even the babies are learning a new language already. One of the babies couldn’t speak Japanese but greeted me in Spanish when I got there; I have to say, “It was pretty cool”. Hippo Club is not just an extra activity for a day or two a week, is definitely a lifestyle.

Community Partners, Our Partners

‘Local Campus’ getting ready for the WCI 2010 Summer Programs!

1 Comment
LOC meeting Tokyo Nov. 2009


LOC meeting Tokyo Nov. 2009


LOC meeting Tokyo Nov. 2009


LOC meeting Tokyo Nov. 2009


On November 29th, the representatives from 8 WCI partner communities (“Local Campus”: voluntary local organizing group in the WCI partner community) and Tokyo based volunteer supporters (Social Venture Partners Tokyo, college students interns etc.) gathered in Tokyo, and shared visions and discussed the plan for the upcoming programs.

It was very exciting to see all the faces of important team members from all over Japan in one place! – with local special sweets they brought!! 😉

Now, the local preparation for the World Campus – Japan 2010 Summer Program officially began!!!

Arao City, City Life, City Theme Activities, Community Partners, Our participants

Supporting Arao LOC at Charity Bazaar

Adriana at Arao Charity Bazaar
Arao City Mall WCI Charity Bazaar


Gaby with Arao LOC

Today, World Campus International staff members along with the purple-adorned Arao LOC (local organizing committee) participated in the Charity Bazaar at the Arao City Mall. As a group of gaijins (foreigners in Japanese), we attracted much attention to our booth! There were hand-crafted goodies galore, including scarves, tissue boxes, and flower arrangements, all of which were donated by the generous LOC. We also took this opportunity to promote and share about World Campus – Japan with the local community of Arao! Funds raised by the event will go towards helping host future participants.