Skip to content

CGP Grant Program: Grassroots Program 2014

CGP Grant Program – Category 2 Grantees 2014

National Performance Network  New Orleans, LA  
US/Japan Connections – Building a Community
Project Director: Kyoko Yoshida  
$45,564
This project strives to expand the organization’s partnership with the Japan Contemporary Dance Network (JCDN)  and to strengthen its network relations by  including a younger segment of cultural practitioners from organizations such as Arts NPO Link and Opener Network of Performing Arts (ON-PAM). By doing so, National Performance Network, aims to develop the capacity of a younger generation interested in engaging with their communities and reflecting the role of the arts in today’s society and ways of addressing the profound effects caused by natural disasters. 

Volunteers in Asia  Stanford, CA  
Strengthening Japan/US Networks to Equip the Next Generation of Social Innovators
Project Director: Yi Zhang  
$64,676
The project aims to further social innovation education in Asia and the U.S. by fostering a group of youth changemakers and building a network of educators and students leaders who inspire each other by sharing their experiences and resources. The objectives are 1. Engage educators both in Asia and the U.S. to improve social entrepreneurship education 2. Foster a core group of emerging leaders in Asia and the U.S. 3. Build a Network among educators, youth leaders, social entrepreneurship practitioners 4. Develop curricula,   teaching materials and an online dissemination platform to support educators and youth leaders

East West Center  Honolulu, HI  
US-Japan Grassroots Exchange: Citizen Participation in Community Building Post-Disaster
Project Director: Meril Fujiki 
$90,000
Participants from the cities of Kobe and Miyako in Japan, and New Orleans and Galveston in the United States, will share experiences, perspectives, and best practices for increasing citizen input on post-disaster policy and decision-making in this project. The project will also examine community grassroots and local non-profit organization efforts to more effectively engage citizens in participatory planning and community building activities that address the long-term recovery and rebuilding of their communities post-disaster. 

Columbia University  New York, NY 
National Simulcast on Japan and Study Tour for K-12 Teachers
Project Director: Roberta L. Martin, Ph.D. 
$83,397
The objectives of this project is to provide high quality content on Japan over a range of subject areas to teachers throughout the U.S. through 1) an on-going series of national simulcasts programs that are accessible and convenient to teachers and 2) an annual related study tour to Japan for outstanding teachers participating in the program. The project aims to provide professional development opportunities and curriculum materials for K-12 teachers as well as to provide opportunities for teachers to travel to Japan to gain first-hand experience to the country to enrich their curricula and classrooms. 

Ohio State University  Columbus, OH  
Strengthening the Infrastructure to Produce Future Leaders in Ohio and the Midwest
Project Director: Richard Torrance, Ph.D. 
$40,275
The project aims to serve as a catalyst for the growth of the next generation of leaders for US-Japan relations. The project will support cooperative activities such as educational outreach, career and professional development in Ohio, the Midwest and Japan. Such activities include physical and virtual “Discovery Boxes” containing various items from Japan for schools, networking and training of teachers, and mentorship network for students interested in Japan. 

U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation Washington, DC
Strengthening the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association (JETAA) Network and Connecting Next Generation Leaders
Project Director: Jean M. Falvey
$79,832
The “Strengthening the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association (JETAA) Network and Connecting New Generation Leaders” project proposes to establish regional networks and organize regional and national conferences and outreach programs. This broad objective will encompass building the infrastructure of JETAA by conducting a strategic planning session, applying for federal nonprofit tax-exempt status, conducting research and analysis of the JETAA’s capacity to improve governance, strengthen the network, and improve the quality and impact of outreach activity through programming and social media. 

Japan-America Society of Washington D.C. Washington, D.C. **J-Initiative Grantee
National Japan Bowl Network (Year 3)
Project Director: Risa Kamio
$15,686
This project will create a network of organizations interested in promoting and supporting the study of Japanese language at the high school level, with local Japan Bowl competitions as the unifying link. The project will also promote and support the establishment and development of local Japan Bowl and Japan Quiz Bowl programs throughout the US as a means of supporting the next generation of leaders for US-Japan relations, developing Japan-related information resources, and creating network opportunities for students and teachers of Japanese. 

University of Colorado Boulder, CO **J-Initiative Grantee
J-OPP: Japan Online Professional Programs for Western Region Teachers (Year 3)
Project Director: Lynn Parisi
$70,934
The objectives of this project are to 1) Establish and expand networks and programs in K-12 Japan outreach, 2) Develop and deliver customized online courses and resource databases on Japan to K-12 educators in underserved Midwest and Mountain West states, 3) disseminate exemplary and innovative curriculum materials developed by projects around the country to underserved areas, 4) Provide customized educational services on Japan to underserved areas of the Midwest and Mountain West, 5) Implement teacher workshop and professional development models that demonstrate the potential to change traditional concepts of outreach by using new technologies, 6) evaluate the program, and 7) maintain program products for use beyond the J-OPP project. 

US Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) Des Moines, IA
J Center: Strengthening Japan/US Relations in the Midwest Region of the United States (Year 1) 
Project Director: Ann Schodde
$70,802
The objective of the project is to create a center that will serve to increase awareness of existing organizations and opportunities for engagement in citizen diplomacy activities focused on Japan, among Americans of all ages living in the Midwest region of the United States. The ten Midwest region states to be the focus of the center include Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, North Dakota and South Dakota. One planning trip to Japan will be conducted in Year 1 to identify appropriate organizational partners to work with. 

Japan Center for International Exchange New York, NY ** J-Support Grantee
Facilitating US-Japan Civil Society Collaboration for Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake (Year 3)
Project Director: Atsuko Geiger
$98,791
This project will seek to develop new programs to support the growth of the Japanese NGO/NPO sector by: 1) launching an innovative feedback loop program that converts stories from beneficiaries into data; 2) deepening relationships with Japanese NPOs and NGOs for activation in disasters outside of Japan; and 3) carrying out open workshops and distributing materials and tools for organizational development, including in particular fundraising capacity building for any interested Japanese NPOs or NGOs. This project will also support more donors to engage philanthropically in Japan by developing programs for existing GlobalGiving partners and providing new tools for Japan-based corporations to engage in global philanthropy. 

National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) Washington, DC **J-Initiative Grantee
NAJAS Network Support (Year 3)
Project Director: Makiko Murotani
$95,070
This project will provide an integrated program for small and mid-sized Japan-America Societies by combining structural and program support from the network and NAJAS. The structural component will focus on JAS management and board capacity building and the program component will focus on providing speaker resources to JAS to help with their membership retention and development. The program of structural and program support will strengthen small and mid-sized JAS, and the NAJAS network itself, at a crucial point in US-Japan relations.