LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

Lin Kobayashi



Mamoru Taniya



Rod Jemison
YEAR IN REVIEW


APRIL
RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC
The global pandemic accelerated its pace in February and March and national borders were rapidly closing. As a school, we had to rapidly respond and made the decision to send students home. It was a tremendously challenging and emotional time, but thanks to the incredible efforts of our entire community, we were able to get a large majority of our students back to their families.


SUMMER 2020
STUDENTS SPEND THE SUMMER ON CAMPUS
Each summer, our campus comes to life at the end of July for our annual Summer School. However, this year's edition was cancelled for the first time ever due to the global pandemic.
While it was disappointing, around 40 high school students who were unable to return home due to travel restrictions helped us maintain an upbeat atmosphere throughout the summer as they awaited their next window to return home or head to university.
The unprecedented step of hosting such a large group of students through the summer was only possible thanks to the incredible contributions of our supporters.


AUGUST
LAUNCH OF ISAKX
ISAKx was launched in the summer of 2020 as an online-only platform for students eager to experience the "ISAK" approach to education, but are unable to attend a program in person.
The program initially launched with 2 core courses in Exploring Leadership and Society & Politics, but by Spring of 2021 had expanded to also offer Winter and Spring Short Courses.
Despite being an entirely new and from scratch initiative, all ISAKx programs were fully enrolled and achieved nearly 100% satisfaction ratings.


DECEMBER
LAUNCH OF WINTER SCHOOL
In response to the cancellation of Summer School due to pandemic-related complications, Winter School was launched to provide Summer School registrants with an onsite UWC ISAK experience.
The Winter School program introduced students to many of the same elements that Summer School is known for, such as leadership, design thinking, and diversity. In addition, many of our high school students, who were on their own winter breaks, chose to volunteer at Winter School, which gave it an even more international atmosphere.


JANUARY
THE ACCORD CENTER OPENS
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Hitoshi Honda, one of UWC ISAK Japan's 100 Founders, The Accord Center (TAC) was opened for campus activity following the winter break.
TAC was designed as a multi-purpose facility and, depending on the configuration, adds 3 classrooms, a performance center, art gallery, banquet hall, and seminar venue to our campus. It quickly proved its incredible value to our community and was the centerpiece of much of the vital activity that took place on campus at the end of the year, including the Art Exhibition, Film Festival, Graduation Banquet, and served as the backdrop for the Class of 2021's mortarboard toss after the Graduation Ceremony.


FEBRUARY
INTERNATIONAL DAY ENDS LOCKDOWN
2021 started with one of the biggest challenges UWC ISAK had ever experienced: positive COVID tests. A small number of our community had caught the virus, which forced our school to implement extraordinary measures (including campus and residence lockdowns and rigorous testing) to keep our school community and the Karuizawa community safe.
Despite the hardship, we were able to endure and in early February celebrated our international diversity and the end of lockdown at International Day.


MARCH
SPRING PROJECT WEEK
Project Week is always a special event, but the 2021 Spring edition featured something extra special: a startup pitch contest!
As part of the Grade 10 Leadership Program, students were challenged to work in teams to create their own startup business and pitch their idea to a panelist of judges, who were themselves successful entrepreneurs. The judges took their role as seriously as the student teams and the end result was an enthralling event packed with incredibly well-prepared pitches.


MAY
GRADUATION DAY
Having endured the unexpected trials of an unprecedented typhoon in 2019 and the global pandemic of 2020-21, this Class will always represent resiliency.
On May 30th, our campus was treated to one of the most beautiful days of the year for our celebration of the Class of 2021. We watched our newest grads toss their mortarboards against the backdrop of the recently christened Accord Center and bright blue sky for the most fitting of send-offs.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
UWC ISAK Japan is committed to educating in a deliberately diverse environment with students from all socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds. To meet this commitment, we provide need-based support to 70% of our students. Furusato Nozei is the most important source for our scholarship and for 2020, we received 330,337,000 Japanese yen despite the worldwide pandemic. (95% of your donations go to UWC ISAK Japan with 5% going to the betterment of education in Karuizawa.) We sincerely appreciate your support and trust in us. Thank you very much.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS THROUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE


* Our students receive financial assistance fully or partially from Furusato Nozei and other sources.
COMMUNITY STORIES


CHANGEMAKER AWARD
A special effort in international diplomacy earned three UWC ISAK Japan students a Changemaker Award for their work to promote constructive dialogue between the youth of Japan and Korea. The award was given to Junpei (Class of 2022 / Japan), Ichiro (Class of 2022 / Japan), and Yuina (Class of 2021 / Japan) by ESIBLA, a Japan-based organization dedicated to making inquiry-based learning with an emphasis on using English.


INNOVATION FOR HIS COMMUNITY
Few would argue that 2020 was a rollercoaster of a year. For recent grad Gab Ponon (Philippines / Class of 2020), the past twelve months delivered a year with more ups and downs than he could have imagined. But a remarkable sense of resilience and positivity have carried him through the trials, and he is finding innovative ways to support his community.




TECHNOVATION AWARD
Three UWC ISAK Japan students were selected to represent Japan in a global tech competition, having bested 22 other teams of female junior- and senior-high school students to claim the national title.
Technovation is a competition for girls from all over the world to learn and apply the skills needed to solve real-world problems through technology and coding. Isabel (Italy-USA), Cathy (China), and Mana (Japan), all members of the UWC ISAK Japan Class of 2022, created a business plan around a smartphone application that supports foreigners in their transition to a peaceful life in Japan by walking them through topics including local culture, VISA applications, laws and norms.
NEW FACULTY
Click on each image to learn more about our newest faculty members.



Taymour Bouran



Jonathan Kerr



Judy Kerr



Florence Larpent



Shermeen Ng
WHAT PARENTS SAY
Like their children, the parents of our students embrace the UWC ISAK Japan mission and vision. We are so grateful for their support, encouragement, and trust. Click on their images below to view their video messages.