2018 Discretionary Grant Summaries:
Global Kids, INC., New York, NY
Youth Ambassadors Program
Project Director: Janice Holzman
$8,910.00
The Global kids Youth Ambassadors Program will have about forty to sixty underserved Japanese and American youth participating in an intensive study of U.S-Japan foreign policy issues and matters. There will be a service-learning trip to Japan included with engagements in peer education and service activities focused on providing local support to marginalized communities in the Tohoku region. This program is designed to impact the Japanese and American youth by outlining each other’s cultures and histories.
International Student Conferences INC., Washington, DC
The 2019 US-Japan-Korea Trilateral Forum
Project Director: Audrey Happ
$4,000.00
International Student Conferences will collaborate with at least twenty Executive Committee Members and key stakeholders for this forum to focus on improving the U.S-Japan-Korea relations by activities and interaction plans that will allow the participants to bond and to think about multilateral relationships for a greater global society. The topics being covered will be on media and identifying areas of collaboration in addition to regional security in trilateral regions. International Student Conferences will help arrange participant lodging and meals as well as being present for the duration of the program to ensure the project is living up to its objectives.
Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana, San Diego, CA
2018 San Diego Ramen Festival
Project Director: Erika Latko
$3,300.00
Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana will work toward introducing Japanese ramen restaurants, entertainment, and cultures over to the community of San Diego County and Southern California. They plan on advertising this project via social media with intended attendees of over 1,000 of all ages.
Japan Society, INC., New York, NY
Exploring an Innovative Model for Rural Revitalization
Project Director: Betty Borden
$8,954.00
Japan Society’s plan for this project is to bring together three leading researchers and authors to discuss and help understand the Kamiechigo Yamazato Fan Club in collaboration with possibly NYU Nutrition and Food Program or the New School/Parsons School of Design and Urban Ecologies Program. Kamiechigo Yamazato Fan Club founded by Tsuyoshi Sekihara faces rapidly declining populations due to big cities devouring rural communities into large urban corridors. Japan Society wants to come up with solutions for Kamiechigo Yamazato Fan club as well as deepening relationships among the participants. With this being said, Japan Society plans to invite Ryoko Sato, Richard McCarthy, Slow Food International, and Tsuyoshi Sekihara for this forum to have everyone come together to understand the contributions of the Kamiechigo Yamazato Fan Club and to hold discussions on the findings and challenges.
John Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange US, Washington, DC
CIE-US Institution-Building Initiative to Support the US-Japan Grassroots Summit
Project Director: James Kelly
$8,395.00
CIE-US anticipates to improve participant recruitment, fundraising, and systematic joint planning through this summit that will be sponsored by US-Japan Grassroots Summits. With this summit, they plan to continue sponsorships that reflects on people to people exchanges and bringing together Americans and Japanese. CIE-US is going to initially target thirty two board members of the CIE-US and CIE-Japan to help them serve as members of the general public who will be engaged in the US-Japan relations.
Kizuna Across Cultures, Washington, DC
Global Classmates Summit 2018
Project Director: Ayako Smethurst
$9,746.00
The Global Classmates Summit held in Washington, D.C for nine days will gather 12 selected students six from the United States and six from Japan to participate in it. This summit is seeking engagements of cultural and language exchanges. The summit will help serve as an example to show students understanding of promoting each other’s friendships and understanding one another’s cultures.
Slow Food USA, Brooklyn, NY
Sake and Disaster
Project Director: Krista Roberts
$3,740.00
This project in collaboration with the Slow Sake team, they plan on bringing the Slow Sake Leaders and the US markets together to figure out potential disaster plans and sharing its best practices at a conference that will be held in Denver, CO. With this project, they wish to influence American abilities to navigate disaster and reinvent the community.
U.S Japan Technical Connections, INC., South Royalton, VT
2019 US Japan Career and Cultural Study Program
Project Director: Robert Clavelle
$10,000.00
This program will collaborate with Onojo City International Exchange Association and it is intended to give students the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops that give them information on foreign travel experience and preparation on careers. The students have to have a career pathway that fits in these areas: construction, culinary arts, auto technology, Japanese Language, Natural Resources, and Video/photography. This US Japan career and cultural study program will provide students practices in career work and it will also allow them to develop meaningful relationships with their peers.