GLP Summer in Japan

July 31st, 2022 - August 13th, 2022

The Global Leadership Program this year was held in Japan for the first time ever. Starting on the 31st of July, the two-week-long English camp focused on discussing social issues and global news in English, with the goal of improving the student’s English communication skills through group activities and English Brush-up sessions. In addition, students were able to broaden their perspectives and develop problem-solving skills through interactive sessions with our overseas staff in Europe and teaching assistants with unique cultural backgrounds. On the last day of the camp, students were given the opportunity to showcase their findings to their parents through a presentation that will be conducted in English.

This year, the students were able to visit various areas in Chiba that contributed to their educational and personal growth, such as Boso no Mura, an outdoor museum rich in Japanese history, or the Chiba Science Museum, where students could expand their knowledge on how technology works. Students were also pushed to their physical limits during the four-hour hike at Mount Nokogiri and the forest adventures at Tarzania, which created a sense of camaraderie among students and encouraged them to help one another in times of need and step out of their comfort zones.

The presentation at the end of the camp went really well with every student completing their presentation on time and being able to present it to their parents entirely in English. Topics varied from environmental issues such as plastic waste to possible medical breakthroughs that can be made through the implementation of 3D printing technology.

GLP summer in Japan

8.5.2020 ~ 8.18.2020

The Global Leadership Program in Discussing Global Issues commenced this year on Wednesday, August 5th, in Tokyo, Japan. For two weeks, students from Japan, Australia, Italy and Ireland partook in a series of discussions regarding current global issues. Students actively led the conversation by sharing perspectives from their various upbringings: some had spent years overseas at the University of Bologna, at a boarding school such as Phillips Exeter Academy, while others attended local Japanese schools including Musashi and Seikei High School. Daily discussions were paired with a simulation to understand the nuances between corporations, government ministries, and NPOs.

This year, participants addressed prevalent topics such as Global Warming, Ethnic Minority Issues, Global Food Supplies, and the universality of discrimination towards minorities around the world. Some individuals shared personal experiences of being foreign in a demographically homogenous Japan while others discussed being victims of Anti-Asian prejudice in the United States. This topic was further explored in light of the momentum-gaining Black Lives Matter movement and repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang, China. In addition to these discussions, students simulated a case study in which an NPO, working with the Ministry of Education urged a Japanese corporation to diversify their homogeneous workforce. Students walked away from this simulation with a better understanding of the corporate world and how to maneuver change in a bureaucratic system.

Overall, students enjoyed this experience, feeling driven and satisfied throughout. This was possible thanks to the students’ engagement and teaching assistants.

GLP at eaglebrook

8.3.2019 ~ 8.16.2019

Eaglebrook’s second annual Global Leadership Program began on Saturday, August 3rd, 2019. The program runs for two weeks and is designed for students ages 12-15. This year, fifteen students from Japan and eleven students from China were welcomed to campus. Four current Eaglebrook students also partook in the program. The Global Leadership Program is an experiential learning opportunity focusing on English immersion, local history, and project-based classroom learning. Through activities on and off-campus, the students gain a better understanding of the globalized world and their role in it.

In only a few days, the students participated in many activities and visited several locations around New England. On Monday, August 5th, a local entrepreneur spoke to them about how his restaurant tries to make delicious and sustainable meals through smart choices regarding food and plastic use. On Tuesday, August 6th, the group went to Morse Hill, an outdoor education center that included a ropes course, allowing many students to overcome their fear of heights. In addition, they went hiking, visited museums in Springfield, MA, and began their presentations on global issues. Later, they will sightsee around Boston and visit Harvard University.

David Goodrow, Eaglebrook School’s Global Leadership Program Director speaks on how the program “challenges the students to stretch their English communication skills, support their peers, overcome fears, and lead others in positive ways that get the best effort from everyone. It is a joy to see the children's confidence grow with every new activity, whether that is in a class or out in public."

2019 Global Leadership Program Participants

GLP at eaglebrook

8.3.2018 ~ 8.16.2018

20 students from Japan and 10 from China participated.