Report

Global Immersion Camp (GIC) 2025 Completion Report

The Global Immersion Camp (GIC) 2025 was successfully held in two sessions, bringing together 131 participants from 17 countries. The camp once again served as a place of learning, sharing, and growth for both elementary school participants and international camp leaders.

Highlights of GIC 2025

Volunteer Camp Staff (VCS) & OBOG Presentations

One of the most inspiring parts of GIC2025 was hearing from Volunteer Camp Staff (VCS) and OBOG presenters.

This year, 3 VCS and 4 OBOG shared their journeys after GIC.
Each story highlighted the long-term impact of the camp and showed participants that they too could return one day to give back to the GIC community.

Voices from VCS

I truly appreciated having the chance to talk about my GIC experience, which was a turning point for me. I hope my presentation gave courage to participants, even if just a little.

Tomoha (VCS)

At first, I was worried whether kids would be interested in my presentation, but seeing both kids and camp leaders so excited made me glad I worked hard. Some children even said they now want to study abroad or come back as OBOG in the future. That really made me feel I could influence them.

Yuran (VCS)

These reflections show how GIC creates a cycle of inspiration, today’s participants become tomorrow’s role models.

Special Lecture for Wonderland: Food Loss & Waste

This year’s guest speaker was Ms. Rumi Ide from office 3.11, a former Kumon student and currently a journalist and researcher specializing in Food Loss and Waste.

She shared the important distinction between Food Loss (discarded food that could have been eaten) and Food Waste (leftovers and avoidable waste), while encouraging children to consider practical ways they could reduce waste in their daily lives. Her talk connected strongly with the camp’s values of responsibility and global citizenship.

Talent Show

The Talent Show was a vibrant highlight of the camp, with many participants courageously stepping on stage to share their skills. From music and dance to comedy and creativity, the event showcased the diversity, confidence, and spirit of challenge that GIC encourages.

Traveling Around the World

This year’s “Travel Around the World” activity took participants on a cultural journey across five countries:

Bangladesh

A traditional wedding ceremony and henna art.

Philippines

A cozy family gathering atmosphere, where banana ketchup sparked everyone’s curiosity.

Thailand

Thai boxing practice and introductions to unique Thai foods and fruits.

USA

Fun with food combinations and the excitement of American football cheering.

Vietnam

Writing wishes on paper; participants reflected on whether their wishes might come true.

The camp leaders’ creative preparation allowed children to explore the beauty and traditions of different cultures in an interactive way.

GIC2025 was more than just six days of fun, it was a stepping stone for participants to:

Widen their horizons by learning about the world,
Work with others in kindness and understanding,
Challenge themselves and grow through new experiences.

The smiles, courage, and connections made at GIC2025 will continue to ripple outward, shaping the journeys of all who took part.

Voices from Participants

Alongside the structured programs, the children’s reflections showed how deeply they were touched by GIC2025. Here are some of their voices:

Every activity was fun, and I learned many new things about the camp leaders’ countries. I danced in the talent show and saw many smiles, it made me happy! I now want to visit other countries, eat their food, and study English more.

I could learn 5 countries’ culture and food. Thanks to camp leaders, I spoke more in English and made many friends. I cherish these words: ‘Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Let’s try communicating in English.’

Through ‘Traveling Around the World,’ I learned about cultures from Bangladesh, the Philippines, America, Vietnam, and Thailand. I was most surprised to realize that California and Japan are about the same size! From a Japanese perspective, Japan feels big, but compared with the whole world, it is small. I realized once again how wide the world truly is.