Toshiba Youth Conference 2010 report
The third annual Toshiba Youth Conference
19 high school students and 11 teachers from four countries (Japan, Poland, Thailand, and the United States) get together to discuss solutions for global environmental issues. The third annual Toshiba Youth Conference for a Sustainable Future was held from July 31st through August 6th, 2010 in Japan. The camp brought together fresh and diverse young minds to tackle global environmental challenges. This year's theme was: “Halve CO2 Emissions by 2050 – Save Energy, Create Energy, and begin a new lifestyle.” Throughout the whole camp, students constantly explored the issues o f “how can we beg in a new lifestyle?“; “What kind of technologies are available?; What are their pros and cons?”; “Can we learn from past experiences?”; ”How can we introduce new energy practices to our own towns and communities?” The camp started off at Josai Awa Kamogawa Learning Center in Chiba Prefecture, surrounded by mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It did not take long in the rich natural environment for students to overcome cultural and language barriers through participating in team building and goal sharing workshops. Presentation of the pre-camp assignments was a valuable sharing time to discover diverse values, lifestyles, and attempts in each country to solve environmental problems. All were reassured that great learning experiences were awaiting. |
Communication | Goal Sharing | Editorial Meeting |
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Vision Map | Presentation of assignment |
Field trip on day 3
Going out into the field and being involved in hands-on learning creates experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime. On the third day, the students ventured out to explore Kamogawa-city, where many of them seemed to be in spired by the ecological local community and traditional Japanese wisdom.
Mizuta residence | Kamogawa | Oyama terraced |
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Toshiba Science Museum on day 4
On the fourth day, students visited Toshiba Science Museum, Tokyo Yuden 2017, and the Ginza honey project, and deepened their understanding of modern technologies and the possible role of green companies. Finally on the fifth day, students had the chance to interview a government official, an expert in renewable energy, and the president of an environmental advocacy company. After moving the base camp to National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in downtown Tokyo, the students got even closer by sharing meals and traveling as a team. The students from Poland contributed their reined critical thinking skills and realistic vision of the world.
Tokyo Yuden 2017 | Toshiba Science Museum | Ginza Bee Hive Project |
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Final Presentation and Closing Ceremony
The American students added their diverse opinions and energy. The students from Thailand imparted harmony and a quiet curiosity. And lastly, the Japanese students provided grounding and a regional context for discussion. The conference concluded with presentations by 8 schools and discussions about pos s i b l e measures t o introduce progressive change in Japan and the world at large. Taken together, the synergistic combination encouraged and inspired a commitment to find creative solutions to the fundamental causes of environmental problems. The camp was also a meeting place for teachers passionate about enhancing their abilities to promote environmental and scientific education and inter cultural communication. Japan Center for International Exchange held a series of workshops to create synergy among teachers sharing the same goals. The entire camp itself was a microcosm of the current global movement towards environmental justice, acknowledging diverse cultural values, and cooperation in finding innovative solutions to achieve a sustainable future. After returning to their respective countries, the students will keep in touch via internet using a website created especially for this conference (www.act-eco.net). Progress reports will be shared to promote a deeper understanding of the issues discussed and further the spirit of international exchange.
Final Presentation
