2022年度活動報告

本年度の活動内容

United Nations Understanding

Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School sponsored and organized the 32nd annual Kansai High School Model United Nations, June 22nd – 24th, at the Kyoto International Conference Center (KICC).

• Agenda: Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering all Women and Girls.
• Over 220 high school students from 11 Japanese high schools participated.
• English event.
• KGN students served as student leaders, participating as delegates, bloc leaders, secretaries and assembly presidents.
• KGN students spent 12 weeks preparing for the KHSMUN. English preparations included: United Nations research, country research, agenda research, presentations and debate.

https://khsmun.com/

International Exchange
KGN students and teachers participated in international exchange opportunities both abroad and in Japan, after a two-year hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

• Exchange relationships were maintained with schools in Australia, Canada, Guam, Korea, Malaysia, United States, and New Zealand.
• KGN students joined long-term study abroad programs in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
• 1^st and 2^nd year students in the Course of International & Cultural Studies participated in a 5-week study program in Auckland, New Zealand and Vancouver, Canada.
• 2^nd year students in the General Academic Course participated in a 1-week study program in Hawaii.
• 3rd year students in the Course of International & Cultural Studies participated in a two-month online exchange project with high school students from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. Students from each school were paired together and exchanged self-designed avatars. Students then took the printed versions of the avatars on a cultural tour of their hometown, explaining the sites in English, and videoing the tour. Videos were uploaded and viewed by classes.
• 1^st year students in the Course of International & Cultural Studies participated in an online Japanese-English language exchange with high school students studying Japanese at Belmont High School, Belmont, Mass.

Traditional Culture, Peace, and Understanding

KGN students participated in both curricular and after-school activities designed to foster an appreciation for Japanese culture and cultural understanding.

• Students in the Course of International and Cultural Studies studied Japanese Tea Ceremony with  Omotosenke  twice a month.
• Students in the Course of International and Cultural Studies participated in a  Zazen and  Buddhism  workshop at  Daitokuji  Temple, Kyoto.
• Students in the Course of International and Cultural Studies visited the  National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka  to research different cultures for class presentations.
• Students listened to  JICA Volunteer presentations  on the topic of Cultural Awareness and Sustainable Development in Kenya, Senegal, and Kilgisu.

Peace and Human Rights Understanding

KGN students participated in two days of fundraising for people fleeing Ukraine after the Russian invasion.  Collected funds were transferred to the Romanian UNESCO Association to assist refugees near the border of Ukraine. Along with KGN students, participants included students from Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and members of the Kyoto UNESCO Association.

 

Environment Understanding

Kyoto Gaidai Nishi High School, an ASPnet UNESCO School, was chosen to represent Japan and participate in an international UNESCO School pilot project, which provides teachers with the opportunity to engage students on the issue of litter and to creatively raise awareness of this issue in their local communities and beyond. The Litter Less campaign is a joint project between the Mars Wrigley Foundation and the Foundation for Environmental Education and is managed by the by the UNESCO Associated School Network (ASPnet), Division for Peace and Sustainable Development, Paris, France.

 

The pilot project will run for 3 consecutive years, beginning in 2022 with around 10-15 ASPnet members from 5-6 countries. More countries and schools will join progressively. Through the campaign, students will be empowered to understand key litter and waste issues in their communities, and create awareness-raising campaigns that focus on e.g. responsible consumption, re-use and recycling, negative impacts of waste, thereby promoting and long-term behaviour change as well as a cleaner environment.

 

https://kgn.kufs.ac.jp/about/llc.html

 

UNESCO ASPnet Kyoto (Community involvement and ESD activities)

• KGN teachers continue to participate with the ASPnet Kyoto UNESCO High School organization , a group of teachers from 7 UNESCO High Schools in Kyoto, who share resources and ideas on ESD, and organize the annual ASPnet Kyoto UNESCO High School workshop at Kamigamo Shrine. Due to COVID-19, ASPnet Kyoto activities for 2020-2022 were cancelled, but the organization is now planning an event for the 2023 academic year.
• One member of the KGN faculty is serving as a board member of the Kyoto UNESCO Association to further UNESCO educational opportunities in the Kyoto community.

来年度の活動計画

1. KGN teachers and students will continue to maintain communication with various community organizations involved with SDGs, as it continues to provide opportunities for students to become active in community projects and activities.
2. KGN will continue to produce and utilize teaching materials focused on SDGs, as students participate in international exchanges, SDG projects, and Model United Nations activities.
3. KGN will continue participating in the ASPnet UNESCO school project, Litter Less, with both curricular and extra-curricular activities.
4. Students will continue to learn about Japanese culture in order to share their culture with others in English.
5. KGN’s UNESCO Club will continue to cooperate with the Kyoto UNESCO Association, the Kyoto City Ukyo-ku ward office, and other community organizations to join community events that support SDGs and ESD in the Kyoto area.
6. KGN will continue to cooperate in hosting and organizing regular meetings and events for the ASPnet UNESCO High Schools in Kyoto.
7. KGN will organize and host the 33rd annual Kansai High School Model United Nations with the agenda: The Global Water Crisis.
8. KGN will continue to organize both short-term and long-term exchange programs for students in Canada (Vancouver, Victoria), New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch), the United States (New York City, Boston) and Malaysia (Penang).