Yokohama International School

YIS Student Service Committee: The student service committee plays a significant role in shaping service-learning at YIS and looks to develop, support, encourage and evaluate effective service experiences for YIS students. The SSC includes leaders from all the secondary service groups. Some activities include hosting events like service week and the service leadership retreat, allocating funds for student service projects and educating the YIS community about why service is important. Students in this group can expect to develop their leadership skills and make a positive difference in our YIS community.

Community Partner: PTSA Service Liaison Team

Relating SDG: 17

Library Council: Our goal is to support reading, research, and independent inquiry within the YIS community through peer support and guidance from Council members. Reading benefits the mind in many ways - helping retain information, relieving stress and strengthening creativity. By familiarizing and encouraging people to read and engage with the library, we aim for them to prosper in all aspects of their high school and future lives.

Relating SDG: 4

HS Sanagitachi: Sanagitachi works on bettering the lives of people in need and without stable housing within the Kannai area of Yokohama. Students and teachers regularly collaborate with the Sanagitachi Center to support homeless individuals around the Yokohama Stadium and Kannai station areas by distributing necessities such as soup, razors, toothbrushes, socks, and blankets.

Relating SDG: 3

HS Chiku Service Club: The Chiku Service club aims to help support people who are less fortunate within the Yokohama area. Students regularly volunteer in the mornings and at lunch on Fridays to help prepare and serve lunches in the Kotobukicho area near Ishikawacho Station. Students are expected to be involved in a service project of their own design with an achievable outcome.

Community Partner: Kotobukicho Chiku Center

Relating SDG: 2

HS Combating Human Trafficking: The Combating Human Trafficking group has two goals: firstly, to learn more about the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of young people in Japan, and secondly, to find ways to combat this issue and raise awareness in the YIS community and beyond. We have formed a relationship with a community partner: the Tokyo-based organization, 'Lighthouse', and will be working with them in the year ahead. If you join you have a chance to investigate and respond to this growing global issue. Community Partner: Lighthouse

Relating SDG: 10, 16

YIS Van der Poel Community Service: The Van der Poel Community Service team works towards the welfare of children in two local orphanages. Throughout the year, VdP members are involved in a number of activities that benefit the children such as outings and visits to the homes. They also organize a number of events such as preparing for and running a booth at a Bazaar held twice a year at one of the homes and the Orphanage Christmas party, a major event held at YIS, which involves the support of our whole school community.

Community Partner: Nearby Children’s Homes and Yokohama International Women’s Club

Relating SDG: 10, 11

HS Environment club: The environmental group will focus on raising awareness and finding ways to make our community greener. This group aims to improve the YIS community's environmental awareness and reduce our ecological footprints through action and advocacy.

Relating SDG: 13, 15

HS Refugees Empowerment International: REI supports projects that provide opportunities for refugees to lead an independent normal life while staying near to home and their loved ones. Projects that empower individuals and their communities. This activity seeks to raise awareness of the plight of refugees internationally while taking on local fundraising efforts to contribute funds to this cause.

Relating SDG: 10

HS DREAM Cambodia Service Group: This group’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for the children of Cambodia through supporting free education for all.

Relating SDG: 1, 6

HS LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Group: This group will advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and around sexual orientation and gender identity/expression within YIS and beyond our community. All advocates and allies welcome.

Relating SDG: 4, 5, 10

HS Animal Relief Crew: This is an advocacy group promoting animal welfare with a focus on homeless animals in Japan. Action opportunities have included regular volunteer work at a Tokyo animal shelter, discussing animal-related issues with elementary, middle and high school students and promoting the adoption of homeless dogs among the YIS community.

Relating SDG: 11

HS Underwater Explorers: A student-led service group that aims to understand and improve the aquatic environment in Japan. We will serve our community by working with the organization Project Baseline to check and record the ocean conditions and share them with local governments and educational institutions. We will also develop a further knowledge and understanding of scuba diving to help us support this purpose.

Community Partners: Project Baseline

Relating SDG: 14

HS Comfort Women Awareness group: Through working with the Women's Active Museum on War and Peace in Shinjuku, this activity seeks to raise awareness of the stories of women who were forced to work in military brothels by the Japanese Imperial Army before and during WWII. In Japan, this is an issue that is often ignored or brushed aside in an attempt to sanitize history. This was seen recently in Japan's vociferous protest of South Korea's first-ever Memorial Day for Japanese Forces' Comfort Women Victims, which was held on August 14, 2018. This group will endeavor to support the work of the museum, and help ensure that the testimonies and memories of these women are preserved and promoted in the YIS and wider communities. As a relatively new group, members have a special opportunity to help shape the focus and direction of our activities.

Community Partners: Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace Shinjuku

Relating SDG: 5, 10

HS PA Nepal Service Group: This new service group aims to support the NGO “PA Nepal”, which seeks to provide basic needs and human rights to prisoners and their children, one of the most vulnerable groups in Nepal. It intends to do this through raising funds, advocating for the issue, and learning about the social challenges in Nepal.

Community Partner: Prisoners Assistance Nepal

Relating SDG: 3, 10, 16

HS Mental & Emotional Health Club: The Mental and Emotional Health Club provides opportunities for students, faculty, and our broader YIS community to connect through a variety of events and activities focused on wellbeing. MEHC also provides a forum for conversations about mental and emotional health and promotes awareness of these topics within our community.

Relating SDG: 3

Amnesty International: Amnesty International is an organization that deals with the infringements of human rights across the globe through petitions and donations that have tangible effects.

Partner Organization: Amnesty International

Relating SDG: 10, 16

Second Chance: This service group’s main goal is to reduce the overall clothing waste and inspire the YIS community to actively take part in sustainable fashion.

Relating SDG: 12

Middle school Chiku Service Team: We work together in small groups to raise awareness about issues that people in our community deal with. We will make regular visits to the Chiku Center to help prepare and serve food to homeless people in the area.

Community Partner: Kotobukicho Chiku Center

Relating SDG: 2