APCC Junior Ambassadors Prepare for Fukuoka

(Originally published June 30, 2023)

Our four Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) Junior Ambassadors (JAs), chaperone Sandy Takeda, and Bridge Club Hawaii President Betsy Wo were busy this quarter preparing for their trip to Fukuoka, Japan! They met twice a month at the JASH Office to learn about Japanese food, culture, daily life, and homestay expectations. These preparatory workshops, led by JASH, included a scavenger food hunt at Don Quijote; presentation on Japanese school life by our Japan-In-A-Suitcase volunteers; a weekend of team-building activities at YMCA Camp Erdman; and other hands-on activities!

Sano presenting on holidays in Vietnamese culture

For each workshop, JAs prepared “Cross-Cultural Reports” to share about the different countries and regions participating in this year’s APCC. They taught their peers in the Cook Islands; Taiwan; Republic of Kiribati; Malaysia; and many more, altogether exploring over twenty new cultures. As part of this assignment, JAs were also challenged to compare their findings to their own culture and daily life here in Hawaii. Although they were familiar with certain aspects of Pacific and East Asian culture, they couldn’t wait to meet their peers in Fukuoka to learn about what other kids their age did for fun.

Vaiva presenting her Global BRIDGE Leader Report on Marine Conservation in HI

Our JAs also researched how some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being addressed in Hawaii. During the weekend at Camp Erdman, they presented their findings on recycling in Hawaii; marine conservation in Hawaii; pollution in Hawaii; and global warming and its effects on Hawaii. JASH includes this “Global BRIDGE Leader Report” to encourage our JAs to learn more about important issues facing our community and brainstorm ways they can make a difference.

(L-R) Vaiva, Sandy, Kyrie, Sano, and Rylen making s’mores at Camp Erdman (photo by JASH NexGen camp chaperone Sean Takehara)

Receiving their host family assignments

Sharing their scrapbook photos

JASH is honored to have served as the Liaison Office for the Hawaii delegation since 2003. If you wish to know more about the APCC program, please visit the JASH website at jashawaii.org/apcc.