2019 Discretionary Grant Summaries:
Japan America Society of Central Ohio, Dublin OH
JASCO Tanabata Matsuri
Project Director: Dr. Benjamin Pachter
$6,410.00
To bring together Central Ohio’s Japanese and American communities and build upon the smaller Japanese cultural festivals held at local schools. The festival will engage with local Japan-related organizations, schools and serve as a venue for community network development and outreach.
Kizuna Across Cultures, Washington, DC
Global Classmates Summit 2019
Project Director: Ayako Smethurst
$4,664.00
To cultivate understanding of the significance of U.S.-Japan relations and cultural awareness, and nurture a collaborative spirit to tackle challenges faced by both nations and the broader international community. Twelve students selected from the participants in the 2018-19 Global Classmates program, Kizuna Across Cultures’ virtual cultural and language exchange for high school students in the United States and Japan, will gather in Washington D.C. for an engaging week and a half of discovery, dialogue and collaboration.
Japan Institute for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Washington, DC
Innovation Challenge Workshops for Women Social Entrepreneurs and Inspiring Younger Generations
Project Director: Fumiko Sasaki
$9,000
To inspire women social entrepreneurs and younger generations to lead innovative initiatives to lead sustainable communities heavily influenced by traditional male-dominated culture. The project will bring together social business role models from the US, Asia and Japan as mentors, who will share their knowledge in building inclusive social enterprises; keys to their success; and personal experiences and strategies applied to overcome obstacles, for a two-and-half-day workshop in Beppu on August 2-4, 2019, for 25-35 participants, mainly women and young leaders. Potential project ideas will be shared with local communities and municipals to continue supporting these efforts.
Eileen Fisher Leadership Institute, Irvington, NY
Learning Journey for Girls Empowerment
Project Director: Keiko Watanabe
$8,000
To provide an opportunity for a group of Japanese professionals working in girls and women empowerment, to participate in successful programs in the New York area, and to share their experiences with the US counterparts to foster mutual learning for possible future collaboration. The program is a study tour in which the Japanese delegation will engage with both the leadership of the various organizations, as well as girls who take part in the programs.
iLEAP, Seattle, WA
Global Leadership for Local Innovation in Resilience and Recovery: Youth Leading the Way
Project Director: Kei Kasukawa Eriksen
$8,250
To inspire Japanese youth to learn and experience leadership learning outside of Japan, help Japanese teachers and school administrators to connect their students to more global learning opportunities. Public symposium for 50-100 attendees in December 2019 in Kumamoto city.