Climate Change and Food System: Youth Leading the Way
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Climate Change and Food System (CCFS) engages Japanese and American young adults (ages 18-30) through a three-month program focused on issues of leadership, sustainable agriculture, climate change, English language development, and the importance and value of the bilateral US-Japan partnership in youth leading the next generation of social and environmental solutions.
This program is funded by the Japan Foundation, and has three pillars where the first and third are virtual and the second is in-person at ARI (Asian Rural Institute), a few hours drive from Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The scholarship covers (1) all coursework and guest speakers online and in person, (2)tuition for ARI, and (3) transportation, meals, and accommodation fees for Pillar II of the program, which will commence on November 1st and end on the afternoon of November 5th.
Any other expenses are participant’s responsibility such as: (1) transportation fees between your home and Narita International Airport, (2) any expenses occurred to obtain short-term stay visa to enter Japan, (3) any expenses regarding COVID-19 including PCR testing, (4) accommodation or travel outside the program period, and (5) any other personal expenses. If this is your first time traveling internationally, you will need a government-issued passport. Additionally, you might want to check out what to expect in travel expenses from here (jump to external site).
In partnership with
Online &
In-Person
Intermediate
In-Person: 1 week
Online: 28-40 hours
over 4 months
Primarily in English
with little to no
Japanese assistance
See above
Max 25 people
About the Program
With the Japan Foundation’s support, CCFS will launch in Autumn 2022, with three main phases: one, a core course in Leadership for Sustainability and Climate Justice that grounds students in the foundations of sustainable agriculture and leadership, and the issues shaping climate change; two, an intensive, in-person, week long training in Japan at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI); and, three, guided mentoring on how to bring together the experience into a collective action.
*Program participants must attend all sessions in every phase.
Phase 1: Online Training "Climate Crisis Leadership"
Dates: Sept 24, Oct 1, Oct 8, Oct 15 (Program time is 23.00-1.00 CET / 17.00-19.00 EST / 6.00-8.00 *next day JST)
Location: Online (Zoom)
During Phase 1, for the duration of two months, we focus on preparatory work in leadership, sustainable farming, and climate change. The topics include, but not limited to:
- sustainable agriculture
- climate change
- leadership
- community development
Phase 2: In-Person Training "Learning by Doing at ARI"
Date: November 1st – 5th, 2022
Location: Nasushiobara-City, Tochigi-Prefecture, JAPAN
For Phase 2, participants will travel to Japan for in-person training at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI), which is an international training institute for grassroots rural leaders primarily from developing countries, with the concept of “Foodlife” – a term designed to recognize and value the inter-dependency between life and the food that sustain all life.
During a week-long stay at the ARI, our focus will be on hands-on work in leadership, sustainable farming, and climate change. iLEAP participants and ARI participants have a number of opportunities to interact and learn from each other.
*Subject to change
Phase 3: Online Training "Bringing It All Together"
Date: Nov. 12, Nov. 19 (Program time is 23.00-1.00 CET / 17.00-19.00 EST / 6.00-8.00 *next day JST)
Location: Online (Zoom)
After returning from the ARI, participants will come together again online to synthesize the learning from Phases 1 & 2 by developing “Leadership Action Plan”. Main focus will be on transforming learning into actions by learning about plan making and movement building.
Course Details
Eligibility
*Due to the nature of the scholarship, this program is only for those aged between 18 and 30 years old with U.S. citizenship or Japanese citizenship.
CCFS seeks a candidate who
- demonstrates interest in issues related to leadership, sustainable agriculture, and climate change; and
- promises to abide by the COVID-19 protocols and take safety precautions.
Preferably, a candidate who
- lives and/or studies in areas outside of major urban centers;
- is directly connected to and/or advocating for groups in their country working on food, farming, and/or climate issues; and
- is with a demonstrated interest in Japan and/or US-Japan relations.
Application Process
- Submit the program application via the button down below
*Deadline has passed. Thank you to those applied! - Upon passing the first round, schedule an interview with iLEAP
- Interview
- Admission decision will be notified via email
Instructor
Sunny Watts
For over twenty years, Sunny has been an educator with a passion for creating dynamic learning environments for individuals from diverse international backgrounds. When developing curriculum, she focuses on incorporating arts infused disciplines, so as to facilitate active learning where individuals fully participate in their growth and development. She works with GLA participants with a level of devotion, playfulness and flexibility in order to best light up their learning experience. | Full bio>
J.B. Hoover
JB’s first work in the environment and education began when he was supervising a team of teachers in the Philippines preparing high school age Vietnam War refugees for US secondary school. The school campus was flat, hot, and dry with very little vegetation. JB obtained 50 Philippine Mahogany seedlings and two thousand Ipil Ipil seeds. With the help of a forester, who also taught at the school, they developed a program for the students to plant and care for the trees. Watching the hundreds of surviving seedlings grow to provide shade and greatly improve the environment excited the students and even more so, JB. Inspired by this success, JB developed a project in the northern mountains of the Philippines which was highly deforested. Three partners, two in the Philippines and one in Japan, agreed on a rural development project that included large-scale reforestation. Over the next 25 years of the project, local people managed nurseries and planted thousands of trees on school campuses, community land, private land and on church properties.