PROGRAM GUIDE BOOKLET

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

Content
What is Kizuna? 2012 Program Dates Program Inclusions Participant Obligations Schedules Program Details Other Factors Who can participate? Guide to the AFS KIZUNA Online Application Application Process Interviews Pre-departure Post -arrival FAQ Contact 4 6 8 10 12 14 24 26 28 30 32 34 38 42 45

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

KIZUNA?

WHAT IS

Japanese government launches the Youth-Exchange Project with Asia-Oceania and North America (Kizuna (bond) Project). Under this project, approximately 9,000 youths from the Asian/Oceanian region will have an opportunity to participate in the related programs; short-term visit to Japan, long-term stay in Japan, and short-term visit to Asia/Oceania. This project is a part of Japanese reconstruction plans and is aimed at promoting global understanding of Japans revival efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. Participants are required to visit the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake except for the restricted area and deliberate evacuation area for four days during their stay to see and learn about the situation of Japans reconstruction from the disaster. The visits may include school visits and volunteer activities organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). After visiting the affected areas, all the participants will homestay at Japanese households to experience Japanese culture and lifestyle, and they will have a chance to visit a local Japanese high school. At the end of the program, all the participants will gather in Tokyo to share what they have learned through the program. It is also expected that participants share their experience with others in their home country after returning home.

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

PROGRAMS DATE

2012

The KIZUNA program is a structured 12 day program departing from the participants designated International Airport on Sunday 2nd December 2012 and arriving at Narita International Airport, Tokyo Japan on Monday 3rd December 2012. Participants leave Japan on Wednesday 12th December 2012 from Narita International Airport, Tokyo and arrive back to Australia at their designated International Airport. Further flight details will be provided at the pre-departure orientation at the end of November.

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

PROGRAM INCLUSIONS

The following costs will be funded by JAIF (Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund).

Return tr avel from the particip ants closest internati onal airport to Japa n

All activities, transportation, meals and accommodation while on the program

Orientation and enrichment d activities before an during the stay

visit, except for pre-existing cond itions, dental, eye care.

medical costs incurred during the

Return Most

24/7 AFS Support N etwork

ed be requir You may una ase a Kiz to purch er /or Jump cket and ja these inal fee, for a nom all worn at must be e ughout th times thro .. program

Participants are expected to cover personal expenses, such as passport fees, fees for medical examination and vaccination, and travel expenses between their home and designated meeting point in the home country, and to bring sufficient funds for pocket money and for the purchase of items for personal use.

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

PROGRAM OBLIGATIONS

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Students and educators must fully participate in all the activities during the program. Students and educators must understand, respect the differences of others and act in an appropriate manner to avoid any conflict with other participants or organizers. Students and educators are expected to use their knowledge and experience gained from the program and share with families, friends and communities. Upon their arrival to their home country, students and educators must produce at least one report to reflect their experience undertaken during the program following the guidelines given by AFS staff members. Students must make at least one school or community presentation Participants are also required to participate in other activities as outlined by AFS Australia. Students must cooperate with pre-return and after-one year surveys conducted by the Government of Japan.

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SCHEDULE

12

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3
Arrival in Narita International Airport Arrival Orientation

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4
Travel to the affected areas (organized and coordinated by JICE)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5
Activities at the affected areas

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6
Activities at the affected areas

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7
Travel to the hosting community

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8
Homestay at a local community within Japan

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9
Homestay at a local community within Japan

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10
Homestay and Visiting high school

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11
Travel to Tokyo, Summarizing the program

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12
Departure from Narita International Airport

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PROGRAM DETAILS

14

AFS

AFS takes full responsibility of the participants (including the educators). AFS Japan staff and volunteers, participating program educators, as well as JICE coordinators and JTB travel agency staff will be looking after the participants.

Australia

and

Japan

The

Participants are going to visit the disaster sites that were hit by the tsunami and

visit

to

disaster

and

reconstruction

sites

earthquake and listen to people who were affected by the disaster or involved in reconstruction. This visit will take the participants through the stories of the people to help them understand the current situation of the disaster area, share the experience of the people, and retell the story to people in their country, other countries and the next generation.

Volunteer

Participants will be involved in volunteer activities during the program that allow them to take part in and contribute to Japans revival efforts in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. The volunteer activities may involve cleaning up the beach, removing small rubble in farmland, planting, putting on performances and exchanging with people at meeting places of temporary housing or welfare facilities.

activities

top priority in arranging volunteer Participants safety and health care is the involved in activities that require activities. Participants are not going to be special outfits or entail the risk of injury.

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Industrial

Reconstruction

support

Participants will understand local industry, culture and the beautiful nature of the affected areas. They will mingle with people who are involved in the local industry, through an agriculture or fishery experience.

School

Participants will have the opportunity to visit high schools, colleges, and other schools to share their experience of the earthquake. The participant will discuss the situation of the disaster areas and reconstruction plan together with local students. In most cases, the participant will also get the chance to watch and participate in local classes.

visit

Exposure

Learn the attractions of the disaster area through experiences such as visiting historic structures, making folk crafts and cooking.

to

tourist

resources

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Homestay

Participants will participate in homestay program at the same time and is a great opportunity to experience how other families live and get the true Japanese experience. Through this homestay opportunity, participants and the host family will build strong relationships through the cross cultural exchange experience. There is no greater feeling than to have family in every place you travel to! Host Families may not always be able to speak English, however participants are encouraged to speak in Japanese and use aids to assist in communication its a great chance to learn and teach each others your language! AFS Japan starts to place students in families as quickly as possible after screening and accepting the participant applications, however we cannot say exactly when this will be. Participants will be given contact details (address, email, telephone numbers) as well as their family profile before their pre-departure orientation.

around

local

areas

of

Japan

Travel

Participants will be travelling in groups to the host community and, depending on where they will be placed, may travel via plane, bullet train, local train and/or bus. This travel will be chaperoned by an AFS Volunteer. In terms of travel to the host school, in many cases participants will be attending classes with other KIZUNA participants and the host family will be in contact with the local chapter volunteers to organise travel to the schools participants will be attending.

arrangements

whilst

on

home

stay

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Accommodation
on the home stay.

Applicants will be staying in hotels for part of the program when not participating

Participants are mainly going to visit the provinces where the impact of the earthquake still remains. Therefore, participants cannot expect urban resort type meals and accommodations during their visit. However, the local staff will handle requests relating to allergy or religion, but other requests (e.g. want meat rather than fish; do not want cold food; want to eat more; want western food rather than Japanese food, etc.) may not be met.

The JICE staff visits the accommodations and checks their facilities prior to the programme; however, some unexpected trouble might occur (e.g. cannot use hot water, cannot flush the toilet, etc.) during participants stay. Also, since there are few large hotels that can accommodate the whole group, participants may be divided into small groups. Small family-run inns often do not have a bathroom in each room, and they may have to use a public bath. The program is willing to provide the participants with maximum support so that they will not feel uneasy with unfamiliar places and unfamiliar culture. Feel free to consult with the program organizers at any time.

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Risk

Management

and

Participant

Safety

The safety and welfare of participants is our number one priority. AFS uses internal tools like quality standards for participant, host family and volunteer screening and training, and external tools like professional monitoring of country conditions, to help keep risks from turning into problems. All Australian adults participating on the program are teachers and are covered by their schools Working with Children checks. All AFS Australia staff and volunteers also comply with these checks. Within each AFS partner country, there is a standard procedure regarding child protection which is carried out in accordance to their local laws and regulations. This means, all adult participants and AFS Japan volunteers will have met these standards. There is a rigorous screening process in selecting AFS host families, so you can rest assured that AFS Japan has selected families who are participating for the right reasons. AFS families do not get paid for hosting.

Who is responsible for costs if an Australian participant damages property whilst away?
The Australian family. Insurance does not cover the cost of damages made by the students, so this highlights the need for students to be on their best behavior whilst away.

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Luggage
It will be winter in December in Japan at this time with average temperatures ranging from - 5 to 10 degrees Celsius so participants need to pack accordingly. Participants may not get a chance to do any laundry except for the time they will be with their host family so please also bear this in mind. The airline and AFS limit is 20 kg participants that bring more may be charged additional fees. Participants will be carrying their entire luggage at certain points throughout the program, so the lighter the better! Given the sheer numbers of participants on the program and limitations in transporting suitcases around Japan, each participant must also pack a hand carry/sports bag that will fit up to 5 days worth of clothing and items for the homestay visit.

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Packing

Checklist

Passport, e-tickets and outgoing passenger card (to be provided at pre-departure orientation)

Medical form (provided at pre-departure orientation and to be filled out each day in the week leading up to departure)

At least one pair of formal pants and top to wear at the host school or any formal occasions participants may be invited to attend

Toiletries (all liquids and gels i.e. toothpaste, moisturizer, deodorant in carryon luggage must be in 100ml individual containers and in a clear ziplock bag to comply with international flying regulations)

Travel adapters if bringing electronic devices that require charging (100V required)

Host family information (to be provided at pre-departure orientation) Itinerary (to be provided at pre-departure orientation) Letter of Consignment (to be provided at pre-departure orientation) Welcome to Japan booklet (in Travel Pack) Tips for Personal Safety in Japan booklets (in Travel Pack) Gifts for host family and host school Photos of life in Australia ie. Family, friends, home and school life etc. Comfortable walking shoes/sneakers Hand carry/sports bag Camera Umbrella Personal allowance converted into Japanese yen before departure Any medication plus accompanying prescription e.g asthma inhalers Glasses/contact lenses/sunglasses plus accompanying prescription

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School uniform to be worn at host school - not compulsory Indoor shoes- In some schools, it is required that you change your shoes when in the classroom to a pair of shoes that have only been used indoors (no dirt on the bottom), please include a pair of shoes that you can use for this purpose- plain white sneakers is a good option.

Important

Documents

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is not covered in the scholarship, however AFS strongly recommends it. This will also give participants unlimited medical insurance, as the medical insurance covered in the scholarship is limited. AFS can help organise additional travel insurance and will send out further details to participants once they have been accepted onto the program.

Passports and plane tickets

The participants are responsible for their own passports and plane tickets whilst in Japan. It is highly recommended that participants make 2 photocopies of their passport, flight ticket and travel insurance policy - leave one copy at home with their family and pack a copy in their luggage in case something does happen to the original documentation.

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Contact
Mobile phones
We advise participants to limit the number of valuable items such as mobile phones when participating on this program. Please be advised that due to different telecommunication networks between Australia and Japan, international roaming will need to be activated and can be very costly to make and receive calls and texts.

Emergencies
If the natural family needs to get in contact with the participant, it needs be done though the AFS Australia 24 hour emergency number 0414 594 694 This is to be used only in serious emergencies outside of business hours otherwise the AFS Australia office can be reached on 1300 131 736. A member of staff in both countries can be contacted at all times and passed onto the participant. This works the same if AFS Japan needs to get in contact with the natural family in Australia communication will come through the AFS office. All AFS staff using the emergency contact phones speak English so there will be no language difficulties in the case of an emergency!

Contact with Australia

Once the students arrive in Japan they will go straight into their arrival orientation. As the program is quite busy, contact between the participant and their natural family may be limited. AFS Australia will send out communications via email to families to inform them of any important announcements while the program is running. We recommend that if participants are looking to call home, that they buy international phone cards when in Japan to call home this is much more convenient and inexpensive than reverse charge or phone cards from Australia that may not work in Japan.

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OTHER FACTORS

24

Money
We recommend all participants take a minimum of $250 AUD worth of Yen (about 15,000). We suggest that this gets changed before participants arrive at the airport to avoid high commissions. Please note that ATM access will not always be readily available whilst on the program. A Visa Debit card could be useful for participants as a back up as this allows for both purchases and ATM transactions but please note that not all outlets may have credit card facilities. Please note that all meals and accommodation will be provided for on the program so the suggested amount above covers any additional spending money that may be required.

Medication

If participants have any regular medication which they are on or will require whilst you are away please take only enough for the 2 week period. If this is prescription medication, make sure it is in its original packet with the pharmacy label that clearly states the dosage and participants name. As it is cold and flu weather, it is advisable to pack some throat lozenges, Panadol, tissues and antibacterial gel. Codeine (ie Nurofen plus) and Vicks Inhalers are prohibited in Japan. Any medication that is taken on the program needs to be taken under advice of the resident doctor on the program.

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PARTICIPATE?

WHO CAN

26

There are a total of 248 places for students and educators to participate in Kizuna Program. There are two types of programs including Explore Nippon and Nihongo Program (for applicants who are currently studying Japanese) and Country Mix Program (for applicants who are currently NOT studying Japanese) Please see the below detail of the criteria for each program:

Explore

Nippon

and

Nihongo

Program

Applicants Currently Studying Japanese (places for 204 high school students, 14 Educators) High school students or equivalent (aged 15-18) Must be currently studying Japanese (have studied for more than a year) Educators must be teaching Japanese at an Australian High School Australian Citizens, in principle Must understand and agree to the aims of the program Willing and capable of adjusting themselves to family life abroad Possess the ability to conduct daily conversation in Japanese

Country
2 Educators)

Mix

Program

Applicants Currently NOT Studying Japanese (places for 28 high school students,

High school students or equivalent (aged 15-18) Educators must be teaching at an Australian High School or and experienced leader in intercultural exchange of youth

Australian Citizens, in principle Must understand and agree to the aims of the program Willing and capable of adjusting themselves to family life abroad Willing to communicate with people from many backgrounds

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

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ONLINE APPICATION

KIZUNA

GUIDE TO THE AFS

28

Instruc

tions

Cover Photo

KIZUNA Application Page 1

KIZUNA Application Page 2

Medical Forms

iz Author

ation

Tea Recom cher menda tion Letter

Participant Agreement

Passport Copy

KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

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APPICATION PROCESS

30

Important

Dates

Application

and

Months

for

JULY 25
Application Deadline

JULY 25 - AUGUST 17
Preliminary Selection by AFS Australia

AUGUST 17
Applicants will be informed if they have passed the first round of selection and will be required for an interview.

SEMPTEMBER 1 - 2 OR SEMPEMER 8 - 9
Interviews for those applicants who passed preliminary selection

OCTOBER 31
Final Selection-finalistsapplications reviewed by AFS Japan

NOVEMBER 5
Successful applicants informed via email

NOVEMBER 17 - 24
Pre-departure Orientations

DECEMBER 3
Arrival in Japan

DECEMBER 12
Departure from Japan
KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet 31

INTERVIEW

32

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in August to attend an interview in September in their Local AFS areas.

Participants

Participants Interviews will be made up of:

Interviews

Group activity
This activity will be used to determine the applicants team work, communication and social skills.

One on one interview

The interview will take approximately 10 mins one on one with the applicant in which the interviewer will go through questions in the interview sheet that help him/her identify applicants qualifications required for to participate in the program.

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PREDEPARTURE

34

Travel

All participants will receive a Travel Pack at their pre-departure orientation. This pack includes:

Pack

Tips for Personal Safety in Japan booklet Welcome to Japan booklet Medical questionnaire Letter of consignment Host family information Airlines ticket Itinerary

Participants are expected to familiarise themselves with the content of these booklets and both of these items MUST be taken on the program as they will be referred to throughout the program.

Outgoing passenger card Name tag

Pre-departure orientation will be held in each state in November before departure.

Orientation

Program information Intercultural learning activities Safety tips Expectations Living with a Host family Communication strategies Coping with homesickness Travel pack Orientation booklet

These orientations are aimed at students, parents and educators and will cover:

Participants will be awarded with their airline ticket and other essential information so attendance is compulsory.

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Airline

Given the scale of the program and the nature of the scholarship:

Tickets

Participants need to cover the costs of travel to the designated Australian International airport

As this is a group booking, all participants must travel on the designated dates of the program ie. Depart Australia together on the 2nd of December and return together on the 13th of December.

No requests to stay in Japan or to continue onto another destination other than the original departure point after the program will be permitted

Being

Participants are expected to prepare a self introduction on themselves in English and in Japanese covering information about themselves, their family, friends, school and home life. There will be many opportunities for participants to share this with other participants, host family, host schools etc. so it is highly recommended that this be organised prior to departure.

an

Ambassador

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Medical

Given that participants will be travelling from summer to winter weather conditions and the number of participants on the program, AFS Japan take precautionary measures each year to ensure that participants are healthy before departure. All participants are required to fill out a medical questionnaire (separate to the medical forms in the original online application) which determines any current conditions and requires participants to measure their temperature 3 days before departure and record this. This form must be signed by the participant and original carried with them in their hand luggage.

Questionnaire

Letter

The letter of consignment form represents the medical insurance that is provided by the scholarship. This form is to be signed by all participants and their legal guardian and the original carried with them in their hand carry and a copy made and submitted to AFS Australia.

of

Consignment

Travel

For those taking out travel insurance, through personal or through AFS, a copy of the insurance certificate must be taken and carried with the participant in their hand luggage.

Insurance

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POST ARRIVAL

38

Evaluation
to Australia

Upon return, participants will be expected to: complete evaluation forms on the KIZUNA program upon immediate return complete evaluation forms on the KIZUNA program one year after returning

Reporting

All participants are required to submit a report on their experience to AFS Australia on their return. All participants are required to assist in specified activities involving

intercultural exchange including but not limited to finding host families for Japanese students on year program homestay.

Returnee

AFS encourages KIZUNA returnees to get involved in their local AFS group and meet up with their fellow returnees upon their return from the program! These events will be used to identify new AFS volunteers for general AFS support and specific KIZUNA volunteering. Events are to be scheduled at the end of January until the end of February 2012 and further dates will be finalised closer to the date.

events

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Returnee

AFS Australia will be conducting several training sessions for returnees to brief them on the areas they can help to promote the similar government or AFS programs to potential candidates for the future.

training

School

AFS Australia have a standard PowerPoint presentation that we will recommend returnees use to present at their school assemblies. A one page information sheet will also be provided to returnees to use.

Presentations

Information

Before the launch of KIZUNA (or similar) government program each year, AFS will invite returnees to speak at launch events about their experiences on the KIZUNA program. Participants are encouraged to speak for approximately 5 minutes on their impressions of Japan, cultural activities, time at host families and host schools and key learnings about the similarities and differences between Australian and Japanese culture. This also allows participants to thank KIZUNA and the Japanese Government for the opportunity to participate on the program.

nights

on

similar

programs

40

Interviewers

KIZUNA returnees will be invited to be on the panel of interviewers (accompanied by AFS staff/volunteer) for student interviews. Returnees will be asked to use the marking sheets provided and complete the confidential placement forms. Returnees will also be required to run the group activities.

Pre-departure

Much like the launch presentation, returnees will be asked to deliver a 5 -10 minute presentation on their experiences on the KIZUNA program and also to assist with any questions that future participants may have.

Presentations

Event

Support

KIZUNA returnees will be asked to provide support at:

setting up regis tration tables a nd equ ipment (banne rs, broc hures, compu ters etc )

Launch

es

Interviews
setting up tables, chairs, registering candidates and handing out name tags

hairs, tables,c tting up se ees, g attend registerin e tags, out nam handing p setting u s brochure

arture pre-dep ion orientat

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FAQ

42

I had just finished high school and I am 18 years old and will not turn 19 by the time of the program, can I still apply?

Yes, you are still eligible to apply as long as you have not turned 19 by the date of departure; 2nd December 2012.

Can we have an exact location itinerary as to how close we will be to affected areas such as Fukushima?

This part of the Kizuna program will be completely organized and coordinated by JICE (http://sv2.jice.org/e/). The group will not be entering any unsafe areas or restricted areas and safety will be a priority at all times. We will be in areas of Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi. If you have any concerns, doubts or reservations about being in close proximity to these areas at all, we recommend you reconsider your application for Kizuna.

On the participation agreement, what do we put where it says?

AFS State/Local group: Please put the state that you live in AFS Sending Country: Australia Chief Executive Officer: Leave this blank to be signed by the CEO of AFS

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Do we need the TB test?

It is recommended by not required at this stage. If you are required to have it, AFS will let you know as soon as possible.

Do we need to know our blood type?

Yes, you need have this filled out on your medical form, if you can't get it in time for the due date, please say "Will advise via email" and send an email to rebecca.whitcomb@afs.org once you know.

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CONTACT

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For more inquiries about KIZUNA Program, please contact: Rebecca Whitcomb Special Projects Coordinator AFS Intercultural Program, Australia Level 4, 418 A Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 Tel: (02) 9215 0052 Email: rebecca.whitcomb@afs.org www.afs.org.au

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KIZUNA Program Guide Booklet

47

Level 4, 418A Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW, 2012 PO BOX 5, Strawberry Hills NSW, 2012

Website: www.afs.org.au Enquiries Line: 1300 131 736 Telephone: 02 9215 0077 Fax: 02 9215 0088
CFN 13488 ABN 54 008 507 864

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