The YGU Student Challenge Program is an initiative designed to foster leadership, creativity, and community engagement among students. Open to students from all faculties and departments, the program invites proposals for projects that value community building and contributions to the local area. To apply, interested students submit a short pitch video, which is reviewed as part of the initial screening process. Selected proposals advance to the final round, where successful teams can be approved for up to ¥300,000 in funding to support their projects.
The final screening took place on June 24 at CINOVA Yamanashi. Six groups that advanced from the initial screening presented their proposals before a panel of judges. Each group was given five minutes to present their idea, which was evaluated based on practicality, creativity, societal contribution, as well as its research and planning.
Two of the six finalist groups included students from iCLA.
Phawarisa is one of the representatives of BORDERLESS ADVENTURE, a team of iCLA and Faculty of Sport Science students. Combining English language education with outdoor activities, their team’s proposal, Kids 活Outdoor in Motosu Lake, aims to provide children with opportunities to enjoy nature while practicing English in an active and engaging way.
“Although English education begins in elementary school, many children have limited opportunities to actually use English to communicate. English is often viewed as a school subject rather than a tool for connecting with others,” explains Phawarisa. “With this project, we hope to create an environment that children and their families may not easily experience in their daily lives.”
Seeing the challenges that children face, including fewer opportunities to spend time outdoors and interact with their peers due to schoolwork, digital devices, and busy extracurricular schedules, Phawarisa’s group was inspired to create this proposal. Planned activities include stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, mountain biking, outdoor cooking, and a variety of team-building games. Through these activities, children will have the opportunity to experience nature, practice English in a fun and relaxed environment, and develop important teamwork skills. The team has the support of professors from both iCLA and the Faculty of Sport Science, and instructors will supervise the activities to ensure a safe environment.
“I hope this project will become a meaningful experience not only for the children but also for us as university students, allowing us to contribute to the community while learning from one another,” says Phawarisa.
Another finalist group of iCLA students is the iCLA Model United Nations and Debate Society. Their proposal, the Global Inclusion and Political Education Program, is about creating a place to talk about diplomacy, debate, and global issues. As part of the project, the group plans to organize a Model United Nations conference, as well as casual debate nights and seminars. They have also planned an intercultural food booth at Jutokusai, the university’s annual festival which will take place in October.
Team representative Stephanie hopes that students from iCLA and other university departments can get involved in Model United Nations, practice public speaking, and enjoy this excellent opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and collaboration.
“We’re most excited about seeing students from completely different backgrounds connect and work together,” says Stephanie. “Whether it’s watching delegates gain confidence during our first conference sessions, engaging in lively discussions during debate events, or collaborating at our festival booth, we’re looking forward to seeing our ideas come to life and fostering lasting friendships along the way.”
Following the presentations, the six judges carefully deliberated over the proposals. The judges were highly impressed by the quality of every presentation, and the final scores were exceptionally close. In a rare outcome for the YGU Student Challenge Program, all six finalist proposals were awarded funding.
The selected teams will carry out their projects between July and December before presenting the results of their activities on December 21.