Help 2000 students from US & Japan connect online!

From September 2025 to February 2026, Kizuna Across Cultures successfully completed the 14th year of Global Classmates, a six-month bilingual online exchange program connecting high school students across the United States and Japan. This year’s program brought together 735 students from 26 high schools in Japan and the U.S.—spanning 11 U.S. states and 12 Japanese prefectures. 

This year, all 12 exchange pairs maintained consistent, high-quality communication from start to finish of the program. This was reflected in the exit survey, where 95% of students and 100% of teachers reported being satisfied with the program. Once again, we were able to deliver a successful online international collaborative learning experience, reaffirming its value and impact.

This year, all participants created self-introduction videos at the beginning of the exchange. Seeing and hearing each other from the outset helped quickly build familiarity and a sense of comfort, leading to a smooth start. In addition, the use of live video exchanges reached an all-time high, with around 70% of pairs participating in video calls. These live interactions added greater depth to the regular written exchange.

In addition, all pairs engaged in the social issues topic, “Generative AI in Our Lives: Past Experiences and Future Possibilities.” The discussions showed that the way students actually perceive and use generative AI differed in many ways from the images we had previously held, which were shaped primarily by media impressions. Through direct dialogue on the topic, students were able to develop a more nuanced, multi-dimensional understanding of AI. It also became clear that such exchanges deepen understanding in a more layered and meaningful way, highlighting one of the key strengths of online international exchange: its ability to address timely topics—those that are highly relevant yet still lack sufficient data or established perspectives—while providing a space for students to openly share information and exchange opinions.

With the spread of generative AI making translation and text creation increasingly effortless, the very meaning of learning a foreign language is being called into question. However, through our students’ interactions, the importance of authentic, human-to-human communication has come into focus. With Global Classmates, while the use of generative AI is permitted depending on the context, its implementation is left to the discretion of each teacher. Survey results from this year’s exchange program suggest that over-reliance on AI for accuracy and clarity can dilute a student’s individuality and make it harder to form genuine connections. On the other hand, it also became clear that the effort to express one’s own thoughts in one’s own words, even imperfectly, helps foster trust and meaningful relationships.

Based on these results, we believe that in an era where we coexist with generative AI, the ability to build relationships with others using one's own words is becoming increasingly important. This aligns with the importance of "intercultural competence"—the ability to build trust and collaborate with people from different backgrounds—which KAC has long advocated. Bearing this perspective in mind, we will continue to develop this program further.

As the 2025–2026 program concludes, we celebrate the meaningful conversations, friendships, and intercultural growth that took place. We thank all participating students, teachers, and schools for making this year’s Global Classmates such a vibrant and impactful experience.

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In April 2025, Kyoto Rakuhoku High School, where I work, formally entered into a sister school agreement with Falls Church High School in the United States. I strongly feel that this milestone was made possible by the exchanges and friendships that students from both schools have nurtured online over the past four years, as well as by the solid foundation provided by the Global Classmates program organized by Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC).

Our exchange with Falls Church High School began in 2021, at a time when the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year, 25 to 30 students from our school have participated, sharing their hobbies and cultures with one another in both English and Japanese. I have been in charge of the program since 2023, and one particularly memorable initiative was the OMIYAGE EXCHANGE, in which students mailed gifts to each other. The sight of students cheering with excitement as they opened letters and packages that had crossed the ocean remains vivid in my memory. Through these experiences, a desire to learn more about the wider world and to one day understand more deeply the people they talk to online has gradually and steadily taken root among the students.

Falls Church High School is a highly multicultural institution, with students whose native languages number more than 40, making it an ideal partner for learning about diversity. Under the new agreement, we plan to expand our exchange beyond online interactions to include initiatives such as short term student exchange visits between our schools. Through these sister school exchanges, even more students will have the opportunity to experience the joy of connecting with the world.

As these exchanges deepen, their impact is being felt not only at the institutional level but also in the individual challenges taken on by students themselves. In the summer of 2025, one of our students was inspired by the online exchange and developed a strong desire to meet and talk in person. She applied to the Global Classmates Summit organized by KAC and was selected to participate. During approximately two weeks in Washington, D.C., spent with high school students from Japan and the United States, she challenged herself to communicate beyond language barriers through experiences such as a visit to the U.S. Department of State, volunteer activities, and communal living.

After returning to Japan, she shared the following reflection:

“At first, I was anxious, but by continuing dialogue while respecting each other’s identities, I was able to build friendships and trust that transcended national borders. By the time it was over, I felt like I did not want to go home because it was such a fulfilling experience.”

The importance of having one’s own voice and expressing it within a different culture, which she experienced firsthand, is exactly what we hope our students will gain through these programs. The seeds planted through Global Classmates are now taking root within each student and growing into meaningful challenges and aspirations.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone at Kizuna Across Cultures for opening the door to the world for our students, as well as to the donors of GlobalGiving who continue to support this initiative. Your support is transforming young people’s lives and serving as a bridge that connects the global community of the future.

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• Visit our website
• Find us on Instagram