2022 APCC Junior Ambassador Applications Due

The Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) is seeking applicants for the 34th Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC), which this year will be a hybrid cultural exchange program with in-person workshops, local field trips and virtual exchange meetings from April through August 2022 for students in Hawaii born between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011 (10-11 years old). We would appreciate your assistance in advising parents and teachers of this enriching cultural opportunity for their children and students, respectively.

In a competitive selection process, JASH will select four students (two boys and two girls) as Junior Ambassadors (JAs). The JAs will join over 200 students from over 50 different countries and regions throughout Asia and the Pacific in a virtual global exchange hosted by the APCC head office in Fukuoka, Japan in late summer. In preparation for the virtual exchange, JAs will attend bi-monthly JASH workshops where they will engage with Asian-Pacific cultures through local field trips for hands-on experiences with Japanese culture; cross-cultural research reports; leadership development and team-building activities; and a three-day trip to the 'Akahiao Nature Institute in Kona on Hawaii Island to learn about our place in the Pacific and our role as global citizens.

The APCC’s vision is to deepen appreciation for the cultures of other nations and regions with the aims of promoting mutual understanding and friendship, nurturing international awareness in young people, and working toward world peace and co-existence. Through our JASH hybrid program, our JAs have been able to expand their horizons in spite of the pandemic, learning about regions and cultures in Asia and the Pacific they previously knew nothing about. Our curriculum builds valuable life skills, including cross-cultural understanding, multilingual communication, leadership, and teamwork, fostering our JAs as the next generation of Nichibei (Japan-America) Leaders.