As an American university in Tokyo, it is vital for Lakeland University Japan to engage with the local community in Sumida Ward to help promote cross-cultural understanding and support. One of the most impactful ways that LUJ\u2019s staff, faculty, and students interact with local people is through volunteer work. Not only is volunteering beneficial for those taking part, but the act of giving time to enrich the lives of others embodies LUJ\u2019s founding cultural philosophy. For many years, LUJ has run a volunteer-led English Club for local middle school students to benefit from the knowledge of the university\u2019s undergraduate and postgraduate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of LUJ\u2019s charitable and volunteering initiatives are championed by Associate Vice President Charlie Stockman. Professor Stockman explained that LUJ\u2019s commitment to community outreach goes back to the establishment of the Tokyo campus in 1991, saying, \u201cHistorically, LUJ has always tried to create connections and pipelines where opportunities are available for our students to get into the community and work on different volunteer projects and initiatives\u2026 Even before we came to the Ryogoku campus, we had led international outreach programs across Tokyo, from English language volunteering to environmental tasks that benefit the neighborhood and the city.\u201d While the Wisconsin campus of Lakeland University has valued community improvement since its founding in 1886, Japan\u2019s reputation as a traditional culture makes it even more important for outwardly global institutions such as LUJ to strive towards making a positive impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since moving to the Ryogoku campus in 2020, Lakeland University Japan has engaged in a strong collaboration with the Sumida City government administration. Professor Stockman praised the university’s relationship with Sumida, saying, \u201cThe Sumida City Office has been very, very helpful and supportive of our vision to develop voluntary internationalization and global education initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LUJ\u2019s Director of International Admissions & Partnerships, Jessica McDonald, expanded on this by describing how these programs are designed to encourage students to engage in Sumida Ward and also unlock opportunities that can help them thrive here after graduation: \u201cThe work that we do within Sumida helps students start building their network. A lot of LUJ students want to do some form of volunteer work, especially if it is for charity, and people in Sumida can see the hard work they put in; whether they are Japanese students or international students. The goal of these events is to help the local community and to prepare the students to have the connections they need to take their next step after Lakeland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
International students are able to start contributing to their host city almost immediately through the volunteer English language programs. LUJ runs ongoing English Clubs throughout the year for Sumida middle school students to learn from LUJ student instructors, and the university strives to do charitable work that promotes the values of its American heritage. Professor Stockman explained that one of the largest annual campaigns is the Thanksgiving charity drive: \u201cThanksgiving is an American holiday in November that celebrates gratitude and the harvest. In America, it is traditional to engage in charity work and volunteering at that time of year. So for the last 15 years, Lakeland University Japan has led community food drives and clothing drives for people in Sumida who may not have enough food or are going to shelters. Tokyo is a very developed city but, of course, there are disadvantaged and low-income people and families, and so we donate winter coats and hats and gloves and scarves and other items.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Director Jessica McDonald highlights a variety of opportunities that LUJ students have to engage with the people of Tokyo through the Tokyo Yamathon, a long-distance walking challenge in which teams of up to four compete in a race through Tokyo to visit all 30 stations of the Tokyo Yamanote train line in under 12 hours. In the last 16 years, the Tokyo Yamathon has raised over \u00a580,000,000 for charity, and Director McDonald, who also acts as the Yamathon\u2019s Venue Operations Lead, is proud of the many LUJ students that volunteer at the different stations across the city to help the competitors complete their challenge<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Lakeland University Japan continues to grow its roots in Ryogoku, its enduring partnership with the local community will undoubtedly remain a vital bridge, proving cross-cultural collaboration and the full benefits of international education can extend far beyond the LUJ campus.<\/p>\n\n\n