Junten Junior High School / Senior High School

Tobitate!  Study Abroad Initiative is led by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) that aims to help all young Japanese eager and capable take the first step toward studying abroad. Now, Tobitate is recruiting the candidates for its 4th Term. Junten’s International Department was going to host an information session, but three students who have experienced the program last year volunteered to take a promoter’s role and give a presentation to collect candidates. 

Three promoters set the goal to raise 10 candidates from Junten. 

3人の準備の様子

Three students planed and prepared for the information without faculty members’ involvement. 

司会と全体説明は宮崎さん。先輩も後輩も隔たりなく使って、説明会を運営しています。

Thre were 27 attendants and they are 1st Year High School students. The facilitator was Ms.Miyazaki who went to Canada on the Tobitate 3rd Term. Ms.Miyazaki opened with a very attractive message, Tobitate is a non-repayment scholarship, She went on to explain the application process and tips on how to survive in the oral interview, then she talked about the benefits of taking the program. 

自分の「好き」を大切に、と語りかける柴田さん

Ms.Shibata went to UK in the 2nd Term of Tobitate. Ms.Shibata researched on Paralympic Games. She shared how she has grown after the Tobitate experience and what she would like to do in college with the experience. Ms.Shibata is in the 3rd Year, so her message and experience carry certain significance to the 1s year students. She said, “if I didn’t take the Tobitate project, I would have been a different person”. She has been won the Minister of MEXT’s prize for an essay contest and was invited as a lecturer to Asahi Newspaper’s lecture. Finally she directly negotiated with the Addmission Office of a university in japan and was successfully admitted to the university. 

トビタテにチャレンジする中で、自分の夢を見つけられる、と語る取口さん

Ms.Toriguchi is in the 1st Year and took the Tobitate 3rd Term opportunity to study abroad. She was not planning to speak in this information session, but while she was watching Ms.Miyazaki and Ms.Shibata, she wanted to share her own thoughts. “Both Ms.Miyazaki and Ms.Shibata had particular things that they really feel strongly about. However, I didn’t have such dream, so some people around me must have thought that I could not make it.  But I applied anyway. While I was filing out the application forms, making documents or writing essays, I started noticing things I like to do. That was great”. 

The colleboration of three students was fantastic. They delivered all the important points about the project and value of the experience. Faculty members didn’t have to add anything and this information session was much better the ones that teachers provided. The three students are the pioneers, who can lead and initiate the younger students. They told the participants that they will be there to help anytime. 

Junten is hoping to recruit 10 students who can be selected for the next term Tobitate, as a result of this wonderful information session.