Community Service-Learning
Students are recommended to make contact with domestic organizations according to their areas of interest and negotiate for their participation in the activities. This process, as well as the service itself, will help students learn more deeply about the local community they live in, which is a great attraction of this course. Certain organizations have continuously accepted ICU students since the very start of this course.
Schedule
List of partner organizations (AY 2017 results)
Name of organization | Placement period | Number of student |
Shiraho Coral Village - WWF Japan Coral Reef Conservation and Research Center | 4 weeks from July to August | 4 |
Asian Rural Institute | 4 weeks from late July to late August | 1 |
Kobokan Community Center | 4 weeks from July to August | 0 |
Japan Summer Service-Learning program | 4 weeks from July to August | 4 |
※The organization, contents of the activity, period of placement, and a number of participating students may vary from year to year.
Shiraho Coral Village -- WWF Japan Coral Reef Conservation and Research Center (Ishigaki City, Okinawa)
Placement period: 4 weeks from July to August
Number of participants in 2017: 4
Shiraho Coral Village is a Japanese branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an international environmental conservation organization. WWF Japan has two offices: a headquarter office in Tokyo and a branch office in Ishigaki Island of Okinawa. ICU students visit Shiraho Coral Village - WWF Japan Coral Reef Conservation and Research Center - every year and help with office work, preparation and operation of Shiraho Sunday Market (town revitalization event), and Shiraho Children's Club activities, while staying at a guest house in Shiraho District of Ishigaki Island.
Asian Rural Institute--Rural leaders Training Center-- (Nasushiobara City, Tochigi)
Placement period: 4 weeks from late July to late August
Number of participants in 2017: 1
Asian Rural Institute is an international training center that brings together people who are engaged in rural development from Asia, Africa, and the Pacific regions to train leaders of rural communities. Not only trainees but many volunteers from Japan and abroad gather at the institute, where people of various races, nationalities, religions, customs, and values live together respecting each other's differences. Service-learning students engage in farming and learn about food, development of advancing countries and agriculture while staying in a dormitory with the trainees and volunteers.
Kobokan Community Center (Sumida City, Tokyo)
Placement period: 4 weeks from July to August
Number of participants in 2017: 0
The Kobokan is a social welfare corporation located in Kyojima, Sumida City. It aims to "work together with local community members to solve welfare issues relevant to the community," with Kutsukake Gakuso Children's Home, a nursery school, and a community activities section as their operational three pillars. Service-learning students assist in the operation of the nursery school, after-school care for children and programs for older adults, and children's camp as volunteer staff of Kobokan.
Japan Summer Service-Learning program
Placement period: 4 weeks from July to August
Number of participants in 2017: 4
ICU Service-Learning Center runs this program jointly with Middlebury College (U.S.). Students from ICU, Middlebury College, and other Asian universities engage in services at a farm, elementary and junior high schools, facilities for older adults and child-support programs both in rural and Mitaka City. Orientation, team building activities, service and reflection with students from the various cultural background will give you opportunities to reflect on the Japanese society from the different point of view.
Other recommended organizations which accepted ICU students in the past.
Name of organization | Location | Year |
Katariba | Iwate | 2014, 2015 |
Tono Magokoro Net | Iwate | 2013, 2014 |
National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan | Tokyo | 2013, 2014 |
JAPAN FOR UNHCR | Tokyo | 2013, 2016 |
Fairtrade Label JAPAN | Tokyo | 2013, 2014 |
Second Harvest Japan | Tokyo | 2015, 2016 |
JAPAN YWCA | Tokyo | 2013 |
ADRA JAPAN | Tokyo | 2014 |
World Vision Japan | Tokyo | 2015, 2017 |
Galileo Kobo | Tokyo | 2016 |
Kid's Door | Tokyo | 2016 |
Peace Winds Japan | Tokyo | 2016 |
Free Space Tamariba | Kanagawa | 2016 |