The Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) and Japan’s Soshi Educational Group (SEG) partnered on an Educational and Cultural Exchange program in 2023 to administer the Hokkaido Snow Camp (HSC) for students in Hawaii and the Hawaii Cultural Exchange Camp (HCEC) for Clark Memorial International High School students in Japan operated by SEG. Both programs aim to enhance international exchange among students of Hawaii and Japan through nature-focused experience in Hokkaido and in Hawaii.
HAWAII-HOKKAIDO
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
ABOUT THE 2024 PROGRAM
Hokkaido Snow Camp
—Hawaii Students Travel to Hokkaido—
The Hokkaido Snow Camp (HSC) provides 10 high school juniors (Grade 10 and 11) residing in Hawaii an opportunity to study about environmental issues related to Hawaii and Japan and to participate in an educational trip to Hokkaido, Japan, where they will explore nature-focused learning experiences and engage in collaborative activities and winter sports with students in Hokkaido.
The program includes a six-day trip to Hokkaido, where Hawaii students engage in cultural exchanges with high school students at Clark Memorial International High School, who come from New Zealand and different campuses all over Japan; explore Hokkaido’s capital city of Sapporo, participate in an environmental summit; and have a chance to experience snowboarding.
The program also includes mandatory pre- and post-trip commitments including pre-trip orientation, post-trip debriefing meeting, and monthly half-day workshops during which they will prepare for the cultural exchange activities and environmental summit.
Upon returning from Hokkaido, students are required to write up a group report to share their HSC experience and what they learned about nature in Hokkaido. Students living in Oahu are also expected to host one or two Clark students for a weekend (Friday night to Monday morning) as a host family of the Hawaii Cultural Exchange Camp (HCEC) program in mid-April, to further enhance international exchange among students of Hawaii and Japan.
Click here to read more about the 2024 HSC program.
*The 2025 Hawaii-Hokkaido Education Programs consists of the Hokkaido Snow Camp program ONLY.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Hawaii Cultural Exchange Camp
—Japanese Students Come to Hawaii—
As a reciprocal program to Hokkaido Snow Camp (HSC), Hawaii Cultural Exchange Camp (HCEC) provides 10 high school students studying at the Clark Memorial International High School campuses all over Japan an opportunity to study about cultural issues related to Hawaii and to participate in an educational trip to Hawaii, where they will explore nature-focused learning experiences and engage in diverse cultural immersion with local communities in Hawaii.
The program includes a six-day trip in Hawaii, where Clark students enjoy and discover Waikiki, engage in language and cultural exchanges with local high school students in Hawaii; explore Hawaii’s history and cultures; and reunite with Hawaii students and their families who participated in HSC previously.
Clark students will also spend a weekend (Friday night to Monday morning) with a family of past HSC students to further enhance international exchange among students of Hawaii and Japan and learn about “ohana” and “aloha” culture through firsthand experience.
Click here to read more about the 2024 HCEC program.
