Thank you for your interest for KSS 2023! Applications for Seminar Leader Positions will be open until February 20th, midnight EST.
For any concerns or inquiries, contact us via komatsu.seminars@gmail.com or social media.
Application Deadline: February 20 by midnight EST
Interview Period: Feb 01 – Mar 01
Notification of Results: March 15th
Camp Dates: August 03 – 09 [ in-person]
All dates are in JST unless otherwise stated
Japanese & English
All seminars are taught in English
Other programming is in Japanese
Translation and/or support will provided
Must be available from August 03 – 09
Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate institution
English level: Native or near fluency
Japanese level: Intermediate level or above
Able to commit 4-6 hours per week to work together with a seminar supporter partner
Familiar with liberal arts education and its mission
Willing to participate in programming held ONLY in Japanese
Create a seminar topic that is related to liberal arts education
Experience in educational settings
Will be residing in Japan at time of the program
Komatsu Summer School (KSS) is an annual bilingual educational camp, composing of approximately sixty Japanese high school students coming from all over Japan. Since 2014, over 200 high school students have graduated from KSS. The camp is located in Komatsu City in Ishikawa Prefecture, which is a thirty-minute train ride southwest of Kanazawa.
During KSS, high school students attend seminars co-designed and co-taught in English by international and Japanese university students, known as Seminar Leaders and Seminar Supporters here at KSS. For one week, high school students are exposed to the rich traditions and culture of Komatsu as well as knowledge of professionals from various fields of expertise. As students begin to look towards their future after high school, KSS hopes to provide them the opportunity to break out of their comfort zone, discover new interests, and connect with diverse individuals.
Seminar Leaders serve as an invaluable part of the journey at KSS. They serve both as a teacher as well as a mentor to high school students inside and outside of classes. Join us as we make lasting friendships, gain valuable teaching experience, powerfully impact the students’ lives, and explore a unique side of Japan this summer!
KSS was created by Princeton in Ishikawa (PII) host families in Komatsu to bridge PII students with Komatsu City and the larger Ishikawa community. Today, it has become a program that connects students from all over Japan and the world.
At KSS, our aim is to help high schoolers discover and realize the diversity that lies beyond what they have experienced up until that point. Whether that means interacting with the other students and staff, being exposed to a liberal arts style education through the seminars, learning from speakers at the forums, or participating in other activities, KSS is here to support the students in their growth and development as young adults.
As a Seminar Leader (SL), you serve two roles: a teacher and a mentor. You will design and teach a seminar in English over four days to two groups of students, each session lasting 90 minutes each day. Each class consists of 3-4 students.
SLs will also actively engage with a “house” consisting of five students outside of class. This house will form the bulk of your student interactions outside of the seminars. Not only will you eat breakfast and dinner together, you will also participate in social and cultural activities. However, you are also encouraged to interact with high schoolers outside of your house and seminar as well.
Look back and think of a class you took and loved during college. Pick a few specific topics from that class, then collaborate with a bilingual Japanese college student to customize and focus them towards Japanese high school students.
Now, take the place of your professor and teach it together. Of course, your inspiration can come from anything else that you are interested in or passionate about as well. As long as you are confident you can develop a concrete seminar around your topic, anything is fair game. In previous years, SLs have designed courses from a wide array of topics. The possibilities are endless.
KSS gives you the chance to teach something you are passionate about, be exposed to the Japanese language and culture, and connect with Japanese society on an even deeper level.
You have the opportunity interact with high school and college students from various backgrounds and participate in fulfilling activities. More importantly, KSS fosters lasting relationships between the high schoolers and college students, which will allow you to stay connected to Japan even after you return home. While KSS may only be a week long, you will be surprised by how much you grow and how everyone becomes a close-knit family!
We understand that leading a seminar may seem like a daunting task. You will not be alone and we make sure to provide a strong support system.
You will be paired with a seminar supporter (SS), and they help to co-design and co-teach your seminar. SSs are fluent in both Japanese and English and well- versed in Japanese culture. You will be working together to hash out the details of the seminar long before and throughout KSS. Collaboration efforts can range from content selection, vocabulary translations, and active translations during the seminar.
Inside and outside of the classroom, language support will always be provided to ensure you are kept in the loop and students are able to follow along.
Yes! We try our best to provide information in both English & Japanese. However, keep in mind the events mainly target high school students so they are held in Japanese.
Yes! Past SLs, your SS partner, and staff will help you from start to finish.
Not necessarily, but we highly recommend it. Building a seminar from scratch with no reading materials or previous experience can be challenging.
Three weeks before the start of KSS2022, Houses will begin virtually meeting to get to know each other. Activities such as ice breakers will be hosted by the House Leader. This is an opportunity for everyone to interact with each other. Additionally, all seminar teaching materials (i.e. lecture notes, powerpoints with voice recordings, videos, etc.) will be distributed to the high school students to allow them to prepare in advance. **NOTE: updates on the preparation period will be coming around January to February.
No, KSS is run fully on a volunteer basis. However, when the program is hosted in-person, all accommodations except air-travel are covered.
For all enquires, please contact us via social media or email us at komatsu.seminars@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you this summer at Komatsu Summer School!
