Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP) internship – Luce Program (Kiyosato, Japan) January 12, 2009
Posted by cwslibrary in Asian studies, Japan, Japanese, Juniors, Luce, Summer 2009, advocacy, agriculture, community service, development, education, environment, sophomores.comments closed
Located in the Yatsugatake Highlands in Kiyosato, Yamanashi, Japan, KEEP is an economic and community development project rooted in Christian faith. The Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP) began in 1938 as a Christian Camp and Leadership Center called Seisen Ryo. Incorporated 10 years later, KEEP was founded on four ideals: Food, Health, Faith, and Hope for Youth. KEEP introduced and encouraged dairy farming in 1947 as a viable solution for the local challenges of high altitude agriculture. KEEP continues promoting and teaching sustainable farming techniques to this day. Early projects at KEEP included establishing St. Andrew’s Church, a Nippon Sei Ko Kai parish (the Anglican Church in Japan); a rural health clinic; a community library; an experimental farm; an agricultural training school; and St. John’s Nursery School. Paul Rusch, KEEP’s founder, cast the vision of grassroots self-help community development and saw KEEP as a school for community leadership and democracy.
KEEP has grown to include environmental advocacy work and international outreach. KEEP provides a place for educational and cultural exchange between people of different backgrounds, languages, cultures, and religions to create and strengthen mutual ties dedicated to community development. KEEP has annually welcomed trainees and college interns from outside Japan since 1982. Students have come from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. In 1988, KEEP initiated a community development project in Tulgao, a mountain village in the northern Philippines, including agricultural, medical, and educational aspects.
KEEP aims to realize a sustainable society existing in harmony with nature. The initial activities envisioned by Paul Rusch have evolved over decades. But the mission has remained constant: to offer program participants and visitors alike a new perspective, a stronger spirituality, a deeper cultural understanding, a richer appreciation for the ties that bind all people, and an opportunity to learn valuable agricultural, environmental, and community building skills.
KEEP provides programming for all ages from preschool children to seniors. Both Japanese and international visitors can enroll in educational programs on the environment, farming, and cross-cultural understanding in day programs or overnight camps. Last fiscal year, more than 32,400 people participated in educational programs at KEEP. Over 130,350 people visited KEEP’s 3 museums. Approximately 1 million tourists visited KEEP during the year. The annual Paul Rusch Festival in October regularly attracts 50,000 fairgoers during the weekend. KEEP’s impact is not limited to Japan, but reaches worldwide as international visitors return home and share the knowledge gained at KEEP.
Internship Description:
Interns in the Environmental Education Department will assist KEEP staff with program development and implementation. Summer season is very busy in the Yatsugatake Highland with many people visiting our nature museums. Interns will assist museum staff and learn about KEEP’s approach to promoting environmental stewardship. KEEP offers visitors experiential programs to connect them with nature, thereby inspiring people to work to preserve and protect the environment. Duties will include assisting programs held in the forest and fields on KEEP property. Same sex dorm accommodations with other KEEP staff and interns.
Ideal Internship Qualification:
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Logistical: Japanese helpful, but not required. An interest and/or background in cross cultural work, environmental education, and non-profit work desired. Must enjoy working outdoors. Should be able to on hike on a trail of moderate level difficulty. |
Personality: Flexibility and patience will enhance an interns experience as you encounter a cross cultural working atmosphere. An eagerness to learn about Japanese work styles and an easy going approach to new situations helpful. Works well both in groups and individually. |
ARI Asian Rural Institute – Luce Program (Japan) November 3, 2008
Posted by cwslibrary in Asian studies, Japan, Japanese, Juniors, Luce, Summer 2009, advocacy, agriculture, development, environment, sociology, sophomores.comments closed
ARI is an international training center set on a 6 hectare farm in Northern Japan where rural leaders from developing countries in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific are invited to study for nine months in sustainable, organic agriculture techniques, community development, and leadership. At the end of the program in December, participants return home to implement programs that will create healthier, more sustainable, more independent villages and communities. A truly vibrant learning community, ARI hosts representatives from over 15 different countries with English used as the common language. Christian in inspiration, but ecumenical in practice, ARI welcomes people of all faiths, races, classes, and professions to learn and work together.
Internship Description:
Interns and volunteers are an integral part of the ARI community. Working alongside our participants and staff, they serve in a support role to the training program. They live simply and work humbly and grow as individuals in the unique multicultural environment that is ARI.
Interns must be ready for challenges and physically demanding work. Each intern will be assigned to a section on the farm, in meal service, in food processing, or in the office. ARI is a completely self-sustaining community that does not revolve around a typical nine to five schedule. All ARI community members start work at 6:30 in the morning and often work on Saturday mornings. Despite the long hours, working at ARI is a lot of fun, with the chance to make lasting friendships and have a meaningful impact on our international community.
Ideal Internship Qualification:
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Logistical: Academic interests should include one or more of the following: sustainable agriculture, environmental studies, international relations, Japanese language and culture, social justice issues, religious studies, women’s studies. |
Personality: An ideal candidate does not need previous farm experience, but should welcome new challenges, such as living and working simply, living within a vast diversity of cultures, ideas, and mentalities, and maintaining an attitude of sharing and service for others. |
ARI Asian Rural Institute: Luce Program – Japan December 4, 2007
Posted by cwslibrary in Japan, Japanese, Juniors, Luce, Summer 2008, agriculture, environment, international relations, linguistic, peace and justice studies, sophomores, women.1 comment so far
Rice fields at ARI
ARI Asian Rural Institute
Luce Program – Japan
ARI is an international training center set on a 6 hectare farm in Northern Japan where rural leaders from developing countries in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific are invited to study at ARI for nine months in sustainable, organic agriculture techniques, community development, and leadership. At the end of the program in December, participants return home to implement programs that will create healthier, more sustainable, and more independent villages and societies. A truly vibrant learning community, ARI hosts representatives from over 15 different countries with English used as the common language. Christian in inspiration, but ecumenical in practice, ARI welcomes people of all faiths, races, classes, and professions to learn and work together.
Internship Description:
Interns and volunteers are an integral part of the ARI community, growing alongside our participants and staff. Our dedicated interns support the training of our participants by living and working at ARI. They live simply and work humbly, offering them a chance to grow as individuals, as leaders and as valuable community members.
ARI interns must be ready for challenges and physically demanding work. Interns will be assigned to a work section in livestock, crops and vegetables, meal service, food processing, or office work. ARI is a completely self-sustaining community that does not revolve around a typical nine to five schedule. Interns sometimes start work at 6:30 in the morning and often work on Saturday mornings. Despite all the hard work, working at ARI is a lot of fun, with the chance to make lasting friendships and have a large impact on our international community.
ARI interns and participants live simply in a very diverse community, which can sometimes be frustrating. While interns are a crucial part of ARI, they serve in a purely supportive role, often putting the needs of others before themselves.
Ideal Internship Qualification:
| Logistical: Academic interest include agriculture, environmental studies, international relations, Japanese, linguistic studies, peace and justice issues, religious studies, and women’s studies. |
Personality: An ideal candidate does not need previous farm experience, but should welcome new challenges, such as living and working simply, living with a vast diversity of cultures, ideas, and mentalities, and contributing to the training program in a supportive role. |
