A special session connecting junior high and high school students with global leaders (Dreamers) was held at the “Hosei Global Challengers Camp” at Hosei University in August! In this article, I’ll report on what the event was like.
Designing Your Own Learning
The main theme of this summer camp was for the students themselves to spend five days conceptualizing their “ideal place for learning” and presenting their ideas in English. To inspire them on this journey of exploration, a dialogue session was held with Dreamers who are active on the front lines of the education sector.
A key feature of this session was that the students can choose who they wanted to learn from. The participating students read the profiles of the Dreamers in advance and chose which group to join based on their own interest to hear from a particular Dreamer. The session began with the very practice of an “ideal place for learning”—designing your own educational experience.
Connecting with Global Leaders
As the session began, Dreamers from seven countries—Indonesia, Myanmar, Barbados, Pakistan, Palau, Azerbaijan, and Bhutan—appeared on the screen. With a hint of nervousness, the students began their conversations.
In each group, the Dreamers shared their own dreams, the social issues they are tackling, and unique educational examples from their home countries. The students listened intently and actively asked questions.
At first, some students struggled with communicating in English, fumbling for words. However, with the help of their peers and university student mentors, they earnestly tried to convey their thoughts using gestures and all the words they could find. Their figures were truly those of “challengers.” The Dreamers responded to their enthusiasm with great care, and the dialogues flourished.
Voices from Participants: Seeds of an “Ideal Learning” Found in the Session
What kind of inspiration did the students gain from these stimulating conversations? Here are a few of their voices.
▼ Student A (High School 3rd Year), who spoke with Ronelle
Thank you very much for your time. It was truly a precious opportunity to listen to your presentation. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about Barbados before, but through your presentation I learned not only about the education system, but also about domestic violence and discrimination against women. I also came to understand how you felt through experiencing multiple learning environments and multicultural settings. In addition, it was a great experience to hear more about Barbados itself. I am looking forward to applying what I learned today to my own future, so that I can make it better. I also felt happy to find some similarities between our cultures, and I am looking forward to visiting Barbados in the near future. Once again, thank you for your time.
▼ Student B (High School 2nd Year), who spoke with Thin
It was great to learn about education in Myanmar’s schools. What really stuck with me was the discussion on equality and fairness. It made me think about what needs to be done to eliminate educational disparities around the world. While I didn’t feel I knew much about Myanmar beforehand, learning about the current situation made me realize there must be more I can do myself. It was a truly valuable lecture, thank you!
▼ Student C (High School 2nd Year), who spoke with Ayusun
Thank you so much for the wonderful presentation! It was a pleasure to learn about both the Azerbaijani and U.S. education systems. I think both of them have their strengths and weaknesses in the way of teaching. (Omitted) After listening to you, my perspective has broadened, and I can think more clearly about the future of education. I also really enjoyed your teaching style. I loved how you asked each student for their opinion—it made me feel involved in the lesson and helped me stay focused the whole time. Thank you so much for everything!
The Beginning of Creating an “Ideal Place for Learning”
This session was like a shower of inspiration for the students as they conceptualized their “ideal place for learning.” By the end, their faces were full of confidence, their perspectives broadened by exposure to diverse global values.
The insights they gained, the frustration of not being able to communicate perfectly, and the excitement of connecting with the world—all of these will surely become precious seeds for the “ideal place for learning” they will create, and for their own futures.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone at Hosei University for providing such a wonderful opportunity, and to The Learning Context, Inc. for their cooperation in planning and managing this event.
Find out more about the Hosei Global Challengers Camp here! [LINK]