OREANDA-NEWS. Toshiba Corporation announced today the launch of the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy. This marks the beginning of Toshiba's partnership in the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Japan that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges, as well as science, engineering, and leadership programs.

In partnership with the TOMODACHI Initiative, Toshiba has created the academy to nurture a strong sense of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) literacy, and to inspire students to use science and technology to address some of the world's most complex issues.

"We are delighted to hear that the Toshiba Corporation has partnered with the TOMODACHI Initiative," stated the U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy.  "Toshiba's generous funding to TOMODACHI will connect young Japanese and American people through leadership education in science and technology, building a strong, enduring U.S.-Japan relationship.  I thank them for their generosity and support."

The academy links the TOMODACHI Initiative's roots in disaster recovery and Toshiba's founding commitment to technological innovation, and the company's passion for science and technology education. During the week-long, cross-cultural academy, 16 high school students and eight teachers from Japan and the U.S. will work together to address global issues. Participants will work in teams to develop proposed solutions to secure a sustainable future for the planet while using learning experiences that are central to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy will take place each year in August in Tokyo.

In the United States for the past 21 years, Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have hosted the annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision program, the world's largest K-12 science competition that encourages children to expand their imagination and have fun while developing an interest in STEM at an early age. To date, more than 315,000 students have participated in the program.

The U.S. high school students and teachers who participate in the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy will be selected from the participants of the 2014 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision on the basis of an essay contest to describe a vision for a resilient, smarter community enabled by technology. Their Japanese counterparts will be selected from students and teachers at high schools in Japan that promote strong initiatives and achievements in science and mathematics education and international student exchanges.

Toshiba International Foundation and the Toshiba America Foundation will actively support the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy from the viewpoint of encouraging Japanese and U.S. collaboration.