Contents　 (please click the line to read the appropriate article)

Ⅰ．On International Exchanges at Jiyu Gakuen

１．Brief History of International Activities
２．Characteristic Features
３．Institution of International Centre

Ⅱ．Activities of Jiyu Gakuen International Centre

１．Internationalization of the School and Improvement of Learning Connected with the Wolrd
（１）Exchange Activities with Schools Abroad
２．Institution and Improvement of Programmes for Studying Abroad and Study Tour Abroad
（１）Studying Abroad
（２）Programmes of Study Tour Abroad
（３）Other Activities
３．Acceptance of Foreign Students and Support for Them
（１）Countries from Which Foreign and Japanese Students Come
（２）Suport of the Japanese Language Study for Those Who Need It
４．４．Acceptance of Teaching Assistants, Instructors and Visitors from Abroad
（１）Teaching Assistants from England
（２）Gymnastic Instructors from Denmark
（３）Visitors from Abroad

Ⅲ．Impact of the Spread of Covid-19

Ⅳ．Contact Information

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１．Brief History of International Activities

Since its foundation in 1921, Jiyu Gakuen has introduced lessons by native English speakers and gymnastic instructors and has received many visitors from abroad. In the autumn of 1931, a gymnastic team of Ollerup Gymnastic School of Denmark came to Jiyu Gakuen to show their performance and thus mutual exchange activities started. Before the war, Jiyu Gakuen admitted some students from China and in 1938 Jiyu Gakuen Living School was started in Beijing for young Chinese girls.
After the war, many visitors such as those from the United States Education Mission to Japan, university professors and British poets have come to Jiyu Gakuen. The number of graduates and students who have studied abroad in Denmark has increased and the exchange activities with Ollerup Gymnastic School have been developed. Since 2003 we have received two gymnastic instructors from Ollerup every year. Also in 1993 a programme of English Teaching Assistantship started in which graduates of English Public (Independent) Schools would come to Jiyu Gakuen to help with English lessons.

（１）Continuous Education All Through from the Kindergarten to the College
One of the characteristic features at Jiyu Gakuen is that the international exchange activities are conducted according to each of the age groups from the Kindergarten to the College. For example, an English youth who comes to Jiyu Gakuen as a teaching assistant plays soccer with primary school pupils and Danish gymnastic instructors spend their time with kindergarten children.

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（２）Learning Opportunity for All the Students
The second characteristic feature is that exchange students from abroad attend the classes and join in the daily school life, giving all the students an opportunity to mix with them.

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（３）Spending Time Together at Home-stay or in the Dormitory
Another characteristic feature is an opportunity for our students to live together with the exchange students, teaching assistants or gymnastic instructors as they stay at our student’s home or in the college dormitory.

As we had kept exchange activities with foreign countries, President Takahashi, who took office in April 2016, started the International Centre in June of the same year. With his vision of ‘Jiyu Gakuen in the World and the World Issues on the Campus’, he wished to promote the educational activities to raise ‘students who can share the other people’s diverse sense of value and develop the critical mind on global issues while having their own identity, and make international contributions to the multi-cultural society in which we live together’. 。

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　Please click the appropriate line to read about each of the activities.

（１)　Exchange Activities with Schools Abroad
　 １）Alajärven lukio & Vimpelin lukio Finland
　 ２）Pomeranian University in Słupsk Poland
　 ３）The Masters School, New York USA
　 ４）Ranumefterskole College Denmark
　 ５）Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii, USA

２．Institution and Improvement of Programmes for Studying Abroad and Study Tour Abroad

（１）Studying Abroad

　１）Winchester College, England
　２）Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup, Denmark
　３）Other Study Abroad (short/ long-term)

（２）Programmes of Study Tour Abroad

　 １）Nepal Work Camp
　 ２）Study Tour to Denmark
　 ３）Study Tour to Cambodia

（３）Other Activities

　 １）The World Gymnaestrada (Gymnastic Festival)
　 ２）International Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum
　 ３）Japan Society Junior Fellow Leadership Program

３．Acceptance of Foreign Students and Support for Them

　 (１）Countries from Which Foreign and Japanese Students Come
　 (２）Suport of the Japanese Language Study for Those Who Need It

４．Acceptance of Teaching Assistants, Instructors and Visitors from Abroad

　 １）Teaching Assistants from England
　 ２）Gymnastic Instructors from Denmark
　 ３）Visitors from Abroad

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Due to the spread of Covid-19, almost all the international exchange activities were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 exchange activities by online were started with Allerød Gymnasium in Denmark, Bronx Collaborative High School in New York, Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii, and Alajärven lukio/Vimpelin lukio in Finland.

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Jiyu Gakuen International Centre
E-mail　i-centre@jiyu.ac.jp
Phone　+81-42-422-3111 ext. 476
The telephone is shared with Environmental Culture Co-creation Center

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Activities of Jiyu Gakuen International Centre (those carried out maily in 2019)

１．Internationalization of the School & Improvement of Learning Connected with the Wolrd

（1）Exchange Activities with Schools Abroad
１）Alajärven lukio & Vimpelin lukio, Finland (for senior high boys and girls) We made an exchange agreement with these schools in 2014, and renewed it in 2019. We have received and sent exchange students from 2014. In May 2019, four students from Finland came to Jiyu Gakuen and in August of the same year, we sent four of our high school students to Finland.
Related blog articles：
“Exchange Students from Finland Came to Jiyu Gakuen” May 2019
“Departure for Finland on a Short Exchange Programme” August 2019

• Two female students at Vimpelin lukio

• Two male students who have watched Finnish baseball

２）Pomeranian University in Poland (for college students)
We made an exchange agreement in 2016, and our students visited Poland in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Polish students of Music Institute and Language Institute came to Jiyu Gakuen for two weeks each in 2017 and twice in 2019.
Related blog articles：
“10 Exchange Students from Poland Came to Jiyu Gakuen” June 2019
“13 Exchange Students from Poland Came to Jiyu Gakuen” October 2019

• Students from Language Institute enjoying conversation with our college students

• Students from Music Institute singing at the Boys’ Department dining hall

３）The Masters School, New York, USA (for senior high boys and girls)
In late June of 2017 twelve students with two teachers from The Masters School came to Jiyu Gakuen. In the spring of 2017, 2018 and 2109, four students from Jiyu Gakuen visited The Masters School for two weeks on a short study trip. They also visited a municipal high school in the city for two days.
Related blog articles:
“Departure for America on Short Exchange Study Programme” March 2019
“Students Report on the Short Study Abroad during the Spring Vacation” April 2019

• Panel Presentation by the four students at The Masters School

• Exchange Time at Bronx Collaborative High School

• Excursion to the Zoo in Bronx

２．Institution and Improvement of Programmes for Studying Abroad and Study Tour Abroad

（１）Studying Abroad
１）Winchester College, England (for senior high boys)
As we had accepted teaching assistants from Winchester College, they started accepting two Jiyu Gakuen high school boys for a three week short study programme in the autumn of 2015. Then we sent two boys in 2016, a boy in 2018 and another boy in 2019 for three weeks each.

２） International Academy of Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup, Denmark (for college students)
In 2016 a Jiyu Gakuen-Ollerup scholarship was established by Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup to cover the fees (tuition, room and board). One student in 2016, two in 2017, one each in 2018, 2020 and in 2021 have studied on this scholarship at Ollerup for one semester or a year.

３）Other Study Abroad (short/long-term)
The Centre supports students who wish to apply for a scholarship to Tokyo-to Shigaku Zaidan (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation for Private Schools in Tokyo) or Tobitate (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative.

Reference
Tokyo-to Shigaku Zaidan：https://www.shigaku-tokyo.or.jp/sch_josei/kaigai.html
Tobitate Study Abroad Initiative：https://tobitate.mext.go.jp/hs/

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（２）Programmes of Study Tour Abroad
１）Nepal Work Camp (for college students) The college students’ visit to Nepal started in 1990 mainly for the purpose of planting trees, and in 2019 the 30th visit was carried out by 15 members including students, parents and teachers from 16th of July to 9th of August.
Related blog articles on Nepal Work Camp, reports from the field, July and August 2019
　 “Field Report 1”
　 “Field Report 2”
　 “Field Report 3”
　 “Field Report 4”
　 “Field Report 5”
　“Back from Nepal Work Camp”

２） Study Tour to Denmark (for senior high and college students and parents) The study tour to Denmark was started in 2011 by voluntary teachers and was made a formal school event in 2017. In 2019 nineteen members including senior high girls and boys, parents and teachers participated in the tour from 16th to 31st of August.
Related blog articles on Study Tour to Denmark, August 2019
　 “Study Tour 1, 18 August”
　 “Study Tour 2, 19 August”
　 “Study Tour 3, 20 August”
　 “Study Tour 4, 21 August”
　 “Study Tour 5, 22 August”
　 “Study Tour 6, 23 August”
　 “Study Tour 7, 24 August”

３）Study Tour to Cambodia (for senior high students) The tour was started in the spring vacation of 2016 for the interested senior high boys. In 2019, senior high girls joined in the tour and 35 members (17girls, 15 boys and 3 teachers) visited Cambodia from 26 March to 2 April.
Related blog articles on Study Tour to Cambodia, March 2019
“Interested Students Left for Cambodia on a Study Tour”
　 “The First Day”
　 “The Second Day”
　 “The Third Day”
　 “The Fourth Day”
　 “Pictures on the Fourth Day”
　 “The Fifth Day”
　 “The Sixth Day”
　 “The Seventh Day”
　 “The End of the Study Tour”
　 "Report on Study Abroad Programmes in the Spring Vacation”

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（３）Other Activities
１）The World Gymnaestrada (Gymnastic Festival) (for college students)
We participated in the 15th Festival held in Helsinki, Finland in July 2015, and from 12th to 15th of July 2019, thirteen interested college students and two teachers participated in the 16th Festival held in Dornbirn, Austria.
Related blog articles on ‘The World Gymnaestrada, Reports from Dornbirn, 1～７‘　July 2019
　“Report 1 from Dornbirn”
　 “Report 2 from Dornbirn”
　 “Report 3 from Dornbirn”
　 “Report 4 from Dornbirn”
　 “Report 5 from Dornbirn”
　 “Report 6 from Dornbirn”
　 "Report 7 from Dornbirn”

２）International Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum (for senior high students)
One 2nd year high school student each from the Girls’ and Boys’ Department participated in the 10th Youth Forum held in 2015 in Piestany, Slovakia, the 11th Youth Forum held in 2017 in Estonia, and the 12th Youth Forum held from 24 to 31 August in 2019 in Macon, France.
Related blog article：
“Presentation at JOM Coubertin Forum 2020” January 2020

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３） Japan Society Junior Fellow Leadership Program
A first year high school boy was chosen to participate in the program from 9th to 30th of March 2019. He went to study at a high school in the suburbs of New York, experienced home-stay and enjoyed some field trips.

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３． Acceptance of Foreign Students and Support for Them

We support foreign students and Japanese students having lived abroad, who need to have language assistance, by giving them Japanese tutorials and helping them with lessons in class in cooperation with their teachers.

（１）Countries from Which Foreign and Japanese Students Come
Belgium, China, Germany, Ghana, India, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, The Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, The United States of America, etc.

（２）Support of the Japanese Language Study for Those Who Need It
For foreign and Japanese students having come back from abroad, we give support of the Japanese language study to those who need it. They are taught by full-time teachers of Japanese.

●Ways to support the Japanese language study
We confirm the wishes of the students themselves and their parents and choose the most appropriate ways for the students. The following are some examples. We often carry out more than one way for a single student.
・We give study support in a separate room during a specific lesson.
・We give study support after school.
・We accompany the student in the classroom for a specific lesson to help him/her understand Japanese.

● Contents of the support of the Japanese language study
We help students by choosing the contents of the support of the Japanese language study according to the problems which each student has and to their long-term goals. These are some examples.
・Acquisition of communication skills in Japanese to lead the school life in Japan.
・Support for acquiring basic knowledge and skills necessary in studying subjects and for drawing up a report
・Acquisition of Japanese qualification such as Japanese Language Proficiency Test
Besides these we hold a consultation about the problems in their school life which are characteristic of foreign students.

We also give Japanese tutorials to English teaching assistants (see 4-(1) below) and Danish gymnastic instructors (see 4-(2) below), which help them in spending their time with our students.

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４．Acceptance of Teaching Assistants, Instructors and Visitors from Abroad

（１）Teaching Assistants from England
We started inviting graduates of English Public (Independent) Schools as teaching assistants in 1993 and thirty-seven of them came by 2019. They help with English lessons at from our primary school through to the college. They also give an English speaking session to interested students after school. They lead their daily life with our students.
Related blog articles：
"Teaching Assistants from England” April 2019
“Henry, a Teaching Assistant, Playing Soccer with Primary School Children” June 2019
“A Teaching Assistant from England” September 2019
“Happy Reunion with Alex, a Former Teaching Assistant” September 2019
“Teaching Assistant and Gymnastic Instructors Finish the Second Term” December 2019

（２）Gymnastic Instructors from Denmark
Two graduates of Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup started coming to Jiyu Gakuen in 2003, from late August to late November. Since 2003, two of them came every year and by 2019 the number totaled thirty-four. They teach gymnastics to our kindergarten children, primary school pupils, students at the Boys’ and Girls’ Department and the college students. They choreograph three programmes at the Gymnastic Festival in October.
Related blog articles：
“Gymnastic Instructors from Denmark” September 2019
“Work Shop Held at Tomo-no Kai in the Country” October 2019
“Teaching Assistant and Gymnastic Instructors Finish the Second Term” December 2019

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（３）Visitors from Abroad (in 2019)
１）From Denmark on 12 March, 2019
Three members of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra came to Jiyu Gakuen and gave a performance at lunch time in the Girls’ dining hall.
Related blog article：
”Guests from Denmark”

２）From Thailand on 13 May, 2019
Thirty-five members of the staff at Assumption College Nakorn Ratchasima (a school for the primary and secondary education) paid a visit to Jiyu Gakuen. One of the senior high students at the Girls’ Department was studying there on a study abroad programme.
Related blog article：
“Visit by the Staff of Assumption College Nakorn Ratchasima”

３）From Denmark on 13 May,2019
Five sports journalists from Denmark came to Jiyu Gakuen.
Related blog article：
“Visit by Sports Journalists from Denmark”

４）From Germany on 16 and 17 May, 2019
Six members of CJD (Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands, Berchtesgaden visited Jiyu Gakuen for two days.
Related blog article：
“Vist from Germany”

５） From Denmark on 20 May, 2019
The director of International Academy at Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup came to Jiyu Gakuen.
Related blog article：
“Visit from International Academy at Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup”

６）From Denmark on 19 June, 2019
Two persons in charge of Danish National Girls’ Choir came to Jiyu Gakuen.

７）From Korea on 2 July, 2019
Eight students and two professors of Torch Trinity Graduate University paid a visit to Jiyu Gakuen and had lunch together at the dining hall of the Girls’ Department.
Related blog article：
“Visit by Members of a Theological Graduate School in Korea”

８）From Denmark on 8 September, 2019
The Principal of Egmont højskolen paid a visit to Jiyu Gakuen.

９）Daniel Gaede appointed as Visiting Professor at Jiyu Gakuen in 2019
Daniel Gaede, a former concert master of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, started coming to Jiyu Gakuen in 2017. Pupils and students of Jiyu Gakuen have enjoyed the performances by the top musicians including Mr. Gaede. In 2019 Jiyu Gakuen invited Mr. Gaede as a visiting Professor and on 26 October two concerts commemorating his professorship were given, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. In early November Mr. Gaede held a work shop for the members of students’ String Orchestra.
Related blog article：
”Jiyu Gakuen Concert Commemorating Mr. Daniel Gaede’s Taking up the Post of Visiting Professor was Held before a Lot of Audience” October 2019
”An Article Introducing Mr. Daniel Gaede Appeared in a Town Paper” February 2020

10）Mr. Harald Krumpöck, a violinist of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, came to Jiyu Gakuen on 26 November 2019
Upon recommendation of Mr. Gaede, Mr. Harald Krumpöck, a violinist of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, came to Jiyu Gakuen as another visiting Professor and gave his performances.
Related blog article：
“Mr. Harald Krumpöck, a Violinist of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Gave his Performances for the First Time at Jiyu Gakuen.”

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Jiyu Gakuen International Centre
E-mail　i-centre@jiyu.ac.jp
Phone　+81-42-422-3111 ext. 476
The telephone is shared with Environmental Culture Co-creation Center