OREANDA-NEWS. The TOMODACHI Initiative and SoftBank are pleased to announce the “TOMODACHI Summer 2013 SoftBank Leadership Program.” Fully funded by SoftBank, this program will send approximately 100 Japanese high school students from the disaster-affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima to the University of California, Berkeley from July 22-August 12, 2013 for an intensive three-week course focused on global leadership development and community service.

Participating students will explore methods for strengthening their local communities, while gaining a further understanding of American society and culture through homestays, volunteer activities, and exchanges with U.S. high school students.

TOMODACHI and SoftBank inaugurated the program in 2012, and many of the students from that year are now applying what they learned for the benefit of their home communities.

Interested students are encouraged to apply for program via the link below. The due date for applications is April 15, 2013. Participants will be finalized on May 17, 2013.