Growth journey of participants during the six days of GIC

①Ice-breaking Stage

We understand that children may need some time to get used to the new English-speaking environment when they first come to the camp. Therefore, the first two days of the camp focus on ice-breaking activities where children can comfortably use the English they know to make new friends and on team-building activities where they can move their bodies and play around.

② Getting Interested Stage

Once children get comfortable communicating in English with other friends and camp leaders, we introduce activities which will spark their curiosity in learning new things about the world around them. In this stage, children learn about Camp Leaders’ countries and experience their cultures.

③ Taking Initiatives Stage

In this stage, there are various opportunities for children to take the initiative in expressing themselves. For example, there are group discussions where they can share their feelings and thoughts on what they can do to help create a better world. There are also opportunities where they can volunteer to ask questions or share their opinions in front of everyone.

④ Showing Confidence Stage

This is the last stage of the program. Throughout the camp, children take on different challenges and discover what they can do. These experiences give them a sense of accomplishment and help them feel more confident in themselves. On the last day, they give a presentation in English in front of everyone with confidence!

Introducing GIC Program


※This is the projected program. It is subject to change due to the condition of the venue, weather, and unforeseen circumstances.

① Group Flag Making and Presentation

Together with group members, participants decide on a group name and make their own group flags. Then, they introduce their group to other groups by explaining things such as why they chose their group name.  Up untill now, we have had a lot of interesting and creative group names such as “Happy Rainbow Samurais”, ” Shining Gold Stars”, “Rainbow Pooh-san”, and others. We are very excited anticipating which names will be come up in future camps.

② River Crossing

This is a team-building activity where participants work together to overcome a challenge together. They come up with their own ideas on how to solve the challenge and try it out for themselves with limited help from camp leaders!

③ Traveling around the World

With their EIC passports in hand, participants “travel” to different Camp Leaders’ countries! They gain a unique cultural experience filled with interactive presentations, games, songs, and dances. This is an activity where participants broaden their worldview by discovering the similarities and differences between their culture and other cultures around the world.

④ Wonderland

Every year, for this activity, we introduce an issue that global society is facing in a relatable way for children. We also encourage participants  to think about what actions they can take to help tackle these issues.
Please look forward to the different theme for future’s camps!

⑤ Amazing Japan

This is an activity where participants share what they know about Japan and its culture with other camp leaders and friends. In the form of a role-playing game, they recommend different places to visit, activities to do and foods to eat in Japan. Since EIC participants come from all over Japan, this is also a chance for them to get to know about other prefectures as well!

⑥ Showbiz

On the night of Day 5, each group performs a representative dance from Camp Leaders’ countries. While cheering for each other performances, all participants can enjoy cultures of different countries around the world together. Those who want to showcase their talents can also sign up to perform individually.

⑦ What I Want to Challenge after EIC

Participants all have time to reflect on all the challenges they have taken on during the camp and think about what kind of challenges they would like to take on after EIC. On the last day of the camp, each participant make a presentation about this in the Graduation Ceremony. We hope that through EIC our participants will keep on challenging themselves to aim for higher goals.

Growth after GIC（Voices of past participants)


After GIC, many friends, Camp Leaders, and GIC senior members strive hard to achieve their goals.

Even after GIC we provide opportunities for learning together and growing together.
Global Network Initiatives (GNI)
Overseas Study Tour

★We also introduce and share information in GIC Blogs about how past participants are doing.
Family Blog

★”I would like to become a Camp Leader, to become a supporter, and to share with my juniors.”
In GIC, we also provide chances for past GIC participants who are now university students to help with camp coordination as Volunteer Camp Staff. These young “sisters and brothers” are great role models to our participants.

EIC2018 Volunteer Camp Staff（EIC2010 Participant Eka）

EIC was a chance for me to change myself. Originally, I was not an active person and was not good at expressing my thinking to others. In EIC, I was able to meet with many amazing people including my friends, Camp Leaders, and Camp Staff. I was inspired by friends who are always pro-active and who are always happy and I was able to learn how to realize who I truly am.

And this year, that me now has become a university student. This is the time for me to step up and rise to new challenges. I started wanting to ask myself, “From now on, what can I do for myself and what can I do for others?”. Hence, I wanted to come back to EIC – my turning point. I thought that this is the perfect timing for me to look at myself again and give back to EIC – the place I could never be grateful enough for. My hope was for all EIC participants to be able to get the same amazing experience I have had in EIC.

EIC2018 Volunteer Camp Staff（EIC2009 Past Participant Hiroto）

Since I found out information about EIC Camp Leaders’ Recruitment back when I was in high school, I have thought about how I can be any kind of help every year when the EIC season comes. I still remembered when I was still a kid and joined in EIC, seeing how Camp Leaders always have fun working, I have the thought that once I grow up, I also want to try working in such an environment. Now that I am older, I feel so honored to actually have this experience.

Through this experience, I learned again the importance of thinking in others’ perspectives. As a past participant of EIC myself, there were many times when Camp Leader asked for opinions from a kid’s perspective. Not only that, in daily meetings, since people from different countries have different ways of thinking, I came to value the act of being conscious about others’ culture and lifestyle in thinking. As we are living in a globalized society where such skills now become indispensable, I think that what I learned this time was very important.

EIC2019 Volunteer Camp Staff (EIC2010,2011 Past Participant Haru）

EIC is my precious place where I learned a lot about this world and got my dream of working for international cooperation. This year, I applied to VCS because I want to give back to EIC. It was a great learning experience for me to observe how the camp is organized at the backstage. Also, through preparing my presentaion about “What I have challenged after EIC” and thinking about how I can make an impact on children with it, I could reflect upon myself and improve my presentation and communication skills. I could learn a lot in EIC 2019, as I did in EIC 2010 and 2011.
I would love to come back to EIC again. I am really looking forward to the opportunity!