This year, students visited the Fuji Sacred Heart School in Shizuoka. They stayed at the wonderful dorm at the school for two nights, allowing them to connect with peers from various sister schools. The theme for this year’s SOFIS workshop was 「サイエンスの力でサステナブルな環境を」which translates to “Creating a sustainable environment through the power of science.”

Each school shared their insights on a specific SDG related to the environment and attended lectures delivered by Toyota, Yazaki, and other alumni. This experience enabled students to deepen their understanding of the environmental issues currently existing in Japan as well as how we can help make the world more eco-friendly, and brainstorm potential solutions to implement upon returning to school. 

This year, students visited the Sankocho Sacred Heart School in Tokyo. Despite the workshop being held within Tokyo, they were fortunate to be able to stay at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center for two nights, allowing them to connect with peers from various sister schools. The theme for this year’s SOFIS workshop was 「移住者との共生『ともに暮らす』という視点から」, which translates to  “Coexisting with Immigrants and Refugees: From the Perspective of 'Living Together as a Community'”

Students presented their own perspectives on the refugee crisis in Japan and attended lectures delivered by university students, professors, NPO members, and individuals who shared their firsthand experiences of living in Japan as refugees. This experience enabled students to deepen their understanding of the challenges faced by immigrants in Japan, deliberate on pertinent issues, and brainstorm potential solutions to implement upon returning to school.