The Youth in Action program includes Japanese language and culture study, community service, volunteer work, and fundraising culminating in an exchange trip to Japan. The four-week June 2024 trip to Japan will include homestay in Colorado’s sister state of Yamagata and in the southern city of Kumamoto, school visits, in addition to visits to the historical cities of Kyoto and Hiroshima. Applications for our 2024 program are now available and the program is open for students currently ages 14-21.

Youth in Action is a local non-profit that helps Denver area teens become hard working responsible leaders. Youth in Action is a project of One Society International, a Denver based non-profit 501c3 organization and is open to high school and college students in the Denver area. YIA has been in existence since 2000 giving more than 180 local students the opportunity to be immersed in Japanese culture. The Youth in Action program is committed to strengthening our youth; building their integrity and character and helping them to become responsible members of society by forming relationships with each other and their community while creating strong work ethics. The youth involved become more aware about themselves and their world by studying world cultures, through interactions within their communities and through the first-hand experience of traveling to another country for a cultural exchange trip.

The cost of the all-inclusive four-week trip cultural exchange trip is $5800.00. There will also be a $50.00 per month fee that will cover operating expenses, director, coordinator, and teacher salaries. Members will be involved in a variety of group fundraisers in addition to volunteer/community service work. A goal of each member is to raise $1000-$2000 in our group fundraising activities and events to help offset the cost of the 2024 trip.

For the time leading up to the trip, there will be required attendance of weekly Japanese classes taught by Jo Anne Harada. The focus of the class is spoken Japanese. Students will also learn to read and write Hiragana and Katakana. Day and time of class to be announced.

All interested students along with their parents are invited to join one of two informational meetings that will be held on Zoom. The meetings will be held on Tuesday August 29 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. and Thursday August 31 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Please RSVP to at least one of the two meetings.

Applications for YIA 2024 are due in full by Friday September 15, 2023. The application process includes essay questions and letters of recommendation followed by interviews for both the student and their parents.

If you are interested in applying for the 2024 YIA program, please request an application by e-mailing [email protected].

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I look forward to hearing from you!

Jo Anne Harada, founder, and director

Youth in Action

720-217-2160

www.yiacolorado.com