TOMODACHI NAJAS Grant Program
2019 Dallas-Sendai Young Ambassadors
Narrative SummaryOverview
With support from the TOMODACHI NAJAS grant program, the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort
Worth (JASDFW) organized the 2019 Dallas-Sendai Young Ambassadors, a one-week exchange programfor six high school students from Miyagi prefecture in Tohoku, Japan. The students were accompaniedby two chaperones from the Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association (SenTIA), ourpartner organization.
The program took place in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex from August 7 to 15, 2019. The Young
Ambassadors participated in a variety of cross-cultural group activities and enjoyed a homestay
experience with local families. The purpose of the program is to further friendship between the peopleof Dallas and Sendai, while cultivating young leaders to become future stewards of the U.S.-Japan
relationship.
BackgroundThe cities of Dallas and Sendai became International Friendship Cities in August 1997 and pledged “towork together to promote cultural understanding, educational exchange, and economic relations
between our two nations.” The Dallas-Sendai Young Ambassadors program was started in 1998 and wasamong the first exchange programs created. However, the program was temporarily suspended in 2011
because of the economic impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on Sendai, whichsuffered significant flooding, damage, injury, and loss of life. The TOMODACHI NAJAS grants made it
possible to resurrect and significantly strengthen the Young Ambassadors program over a seven-year
period (2013-2019).
Goals
The Japan-America Society has three primary goals for the Dallas-Sendai Young Ambassadors program:•••To further mutual understanding and ongoing engagement between Japanese andAmericans (JASDFW mission)
To cultivate future stewards of the U.S.-Japan relationshipTo strengthen the Dallas-Sendai Friendship City relationshipIn addition, we strive to improve and refine the program continually from year to year. Key strategies in2019 were (1) to create more meaningful interaction between Sendai and Dallas teenagers, (2) to be apart of the community by volunteering, and (3) to understand the cultural context by communicatingand living with the host families.

1Selection Process
The 2019 Young Ambassadors were carefully selected and well prepared for their Texas
experience. SenTIA publicized the opportunity to all high schools in Sendai. To apply, students wererequired to submit an application form and an essay describing what they hoped to learn and how theywould take advantage of the experience if selected. SenTIA received 79 applications this year. Afterinterviews, six students were chosen to represent Sendai as Young Ambassadors. The group included
four girls and two boys, ages 15 to 18, representing six high schools in Sendai.
Before leaving Japan, the Sendai students met three times and prepared to become effective
ambassadors. They learned about the purpose of the program and the history of the Dallas-Sendai
Friendship City relationship. Together, the group researched local sites they would visit and planned
presentations and activities in an effort to introduce their city and Japanese culture.

Experience in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Leadership Opportunities
Each student had opportunities to represent the delegation at key meetings through group
introductions, leading presentations, and presenting gifts and thanks. Students were able to meet with
community and business leaders and interact with them through question and answer sessions.
Team-Building
By preparing for group presentations and activities, designing program t-shirt, or just traveling withothers, the theme of the week was on team building. The Young Ambassadors did not know each otherprior to the program. They all attend different schools and are at different grade levels. They quickly
learned to work together in achieving their goals. Throughout the program, they were able to build trust
in one another, improve communication skills, and inspire each other.
Homestay
A key part of the Young Ambassadors program is the homestay experience, which allows for an“organic” cultural exchange. The Young Ambassadors spent their evenings and weekend with their hostfamilies, where they experienced American daily life and special outings with family and friends.
Activities included attending a baseball game, visiting local museums, going to church, and trying local
Texas cuisine (BBQ). The experience taught the importance of sharing and understanding one another’scultures. Many of the Young Ambassadors brought some Japanese food from Sendai and cooked
traditional meals for their host families. While it was just a week, each student made lifelong friendships
with his or her host family. It was amazing to see how deeply connected they became despite language
barriers.
Learning about Dallas area
To learn more about Dallas and North Texas culture, the Young Ambassadors visited Denton Square, theFort Worth Stockyards, Downtown Dallas, the Legacy West complex in Plano, Dallas City Hall, the Texas
Rangers Baseball Club’s Globe Life Park, and the Sixth Floor Museum, which tells the story of the tragic
assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Volunteer Experience at the North Texas Food BankVolunteer at the North Texas Food Bank was a rare opportunity for all the students. The magnitude ofthe event, defined by the space, amount of donated food, and the large number of volunteers that2participated. The students helped sorting food for 1.5 hours, total of 4,000 meals. They also enjoyed alecture about the North Texas Food Bank and a facility tour by one of veteran volunteers. It was anexperience one could not obtain in Japan and conveyed the value of giving back.
High School Visits
The Young Ambassadors had opportunities to see distinctly unique high schools during the program. The
first high school they visited was Koan School, a private school with less than 40 students in a rural areaof the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The second high school was Crowley High School, a large publicschool with more than 2,000 students near Fort Worth. They were able to interact with local students at
both schools; gave a presentation of Japanese school life, introduced Sendai City, and tested students’knowledge through interactive quizzes. Local students were very happy to learn about Japan and also
received some gifts from Sendai.
University Visits
The Young Ambassadors were able to visit both the University of North Texas (UNT) and Southern
Methodist University (SMU). They enjoyed campus tours and discussions with college students, whohad been to Japan earlier in the year with the 2018 Young Ambassadors.
Rayyan Khoja and Grace Chang, two of the 2018 Young Ambassadors, are currently studying at UNT.
They kindly agreed to coordinate the campus tour and even showed them around the student
dormitory. They educated everyone about the UNT mascot, Scrappy the eagle, and had fun taking
pictures while portraying Scrappy’s signature pose.
Welcome Party
The party was held at a conference room in TOYOTA stadium on Saturday, August 10. It was attended
by 55 of JASDFW members, volunteers, host families, board members, and the runners who visited
Sendai in May to represent Dallas in the 2019 Sendai International Half Marathon. The party was justlike a Japanese summer festival as all the Young Ambassadors and some of the host families dressed up
in yukata and jinbeh. JASDFW prepared surprise gifts for the delegation including Young Ambassadors
Program stainless water bottles and books about Texas. The party was followed by the FC Dallas gamewhere everybody enjoyed celebrating a 5-3 victory over Minnesota FC.
Continuing Role as Young Ambassadors
After returning home to Sendai, the students gave a presentation to their parents, alumni and SenTIA
staff about their experience in Dallas. Many Young Ambassadors expressed their motivation for studying
English more and an interest in coming back to the United States. Some of them even mentioned
volunteering in various community services.
Sustaining the Program
The grants received through the TOMODACHI NAJAS program from 2013-2019 made it possible not only
to resurrect a dormant program, but also to improve its quality. The benefits of repeating the program
annually, rather than every three to four years, are significant. With increased public awareness, thequality of applicants has increased each year in both Dallas and Sendai. 2017 alumni helped the 2019Young Ambassadors to prepare their program prior to leaving Japan. A 2018 alumnus, Jadyn Rowlett,hosted one of the Young Ambassadors this year and participated in the program with his younger
brother Joel Rowlett. Other 2018 alumni, Grace Chang, Rayyan Khoja, and Katherine Sinclair also
participated in the program.

3JASDFW and SenTIA are committed to continuing the Young Ambassadors program proceeding into
2020. JASDFW is currently looking into several grant opportunities to support the program, in addition
to potential funds through the TOMODACHI Initiative.
Partner Organizations
The 2019 Dallas-Sendai Young Ambassadors program is part of the TOMODACHI NAJAS Exchange
Program, which is made possible through a grant provided by the TOMODACHI Initiative to the National
Association of Japan-America Societies. The TOMODACHI/NAJAS grants have enabled JASDFW andSendai to build a strong and sustainable partnership over the course of this exchange program. Thegrants have been important to JASDFW’s efforts to raise additional funds to support this program andmake it free for all participants. JASDFW deeply appreciates the support of TOMODACHI Initiative andNAJAS for the Young Ambassadors program.
The program was organized and administered in Dallas by the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort
Worth (JASDFW). On behalf of the host city, JASDFW made international travel arrangements; plannedthe itinerary, group activities, local ground transportation, and meals; recruited and coordinated hostfamilies; administered the grant; and managed the budget.
In Sendai, the program was managed by the Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association(SenTIA). On behalf of the visiting city, SenTIA recruited and selected participants, provided training andorientation, made domestic travel arrangements in Japan, provided chaperones, and managed Sendai’sbudget.
The City of Dallas’ Protocol Office, which is managed through a contract with the World Affairs Councilof Dallas/Fort Worth (WAC), has official responsibility for city-to-city relationships. WAC staff membersorganized the official welcome at City Hall by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam McGough and the Sixth
Floor Museum visit.
American Airlines and Japan Airlines, important partners and official members of JASDFW, provided
valuable assistance to the group at both DFW and Narita International Airports. JASDFW board
member, Kyoko Vivas from Japan Airlines, participated in the welcome party and prepared special JAL
goodies for the Young Ambassadors.
In addition to the eight host families, five volunteers – both Japanese and American – served as
chaperones, photographers, interpreters, and assistants during the week.

Attachment: Final Program Itinerary4