Tottori-Vermont

Youth Environmental Leadership Program


Green Across the Pacific arranges a youth exchange for students from Tottori Prefecture, Japan, and Vermont, USA, each spring.  Governors Douglas and Hirai of Vermont and Tottori entered into a friendship agreement between the two regions in 2008.  Introducing youth exchange represents part of a larger effort to improve cultural and economic relations between Vermont and Tottori to our mutual benefit.

 

In March of 2010, a delegation from Tottori visited several Vermont high schools for our inaugural exchange.  Harwood Union High School and Mount Abraham Union High School were our initial partners in Vermont.

Student exchange will continue in this spring with reciprocal exchanges in Vermont in March and Tottori, Japan, in April.  You can follow student discussion and work on their blog .




During the week of March 21st, 2011, fifteen high school students, two university students and six adults from Tottori, Japan, visited Harwood and Mount Abraham Union High Schools for a program centered on Environmental Leadership.  Educators and students in Tottori were to host a reciprocal program for Vermonters during the week of April 18th, 2011.  However, the Tsunami and subsequent problems at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused us to cancel this exchange.  During exchnages, students from Harwood and Mt. Abe will pair Tottori students to develop environmentally centered projects.  Projects have a comparative component between Vermont and Tottori.



This year, a delegation from Tottori will arrive in Vermont on   Friday    March 16th and depart on Saturday March 24th .    While in  Vermont, Tottori students will enjoy staying with local families in the Addison Northeast Supervisory Union.  During the working week, students will spend two days in School based activities.  Participating Vermont students will join students from Tottori for three full days of field activities, including a visit to Montpelier, local business, the University of Vermont and Middlebury College, and studies with a field naturalist.  A farewell dinner, complete with presentation of student work, will be arranged for Friday March 23rd at Mt. Abraham Union High School.



 

 

This is an exciting opportunity for students from Mt. Abe to meet students from Tottori and learn about Japanese culture while addressing important shared Environmental challenges.  It will provide a chance to get out and involved in a meaningful way during the peak of cabin fever season in Vermont, and a chance to visit one of Japans most beautiful prefectures in April.  More importantly, it offers students a gateway to each others cultures and a broader world view in an increasingly small planet.

To learn about participating in this opportunity, students and families at Mount Abraham Union High School may contact Bruce Babbitt or Gabe Hamilton.

This year, Green Across the Pacific is opening up spaces for high school students from other districts in Vermont for a trip to Tottori, Japan, in April.  If you or someone that you know is interested please click here for details.

Green Across the Pacific is very excited to be part of this and valuable program.