JAPAN Summer 2025

6/21/2025 Live Trip Update
Slack: General
Nagoya, Japan

"Hi all. Wanted to drop an update to let you know that the CARD in Japan adventure is at the midway point and despite some torturously hot and humid weather (95-100° with near-60% humidity for the first few days... ) things are going quite well. We did some touring of the largest metropolis on Earth, Tokyo (and the adventures of train stations which serve 1-2 million people per day and learned that accessibility for a person in a wheelchair is a real challenge in those stations...), conducted a demonstration debate about energy policy and had a very pleasant exchange with debate students from Aichi Shukutoku University in Nagoya (I think there is a lot of potential for similar trips to Japan in the future...), and have begun taking in some of the incredible World Heritage treasures of Kyoto and Nara.

We will be headed to Hiroshima tomorrow. In addition to visiting the Peace Memorial Park and "Atomic Dome", we will be meeting with Nihon Hidankyo (the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization that represents Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors). That session will be recorded by HNK (Japan's version of PBS/NPR) for broadcast. Very excited about that opportunity and what it will mean for our students.The students have been taking in a lot and working through ideas for how to put all of it into context and to create some academic artifacts which reflect upon their experiences. If anyone is interested, I am linking the document I created to guide some of that academic work, to give you an idea for what we are doing beyond merely seeing amazing places (and eating amazing foods!).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pko0-f5-ytgo0_D9-2N1aGzMW_ShpWr9CSwVScXS_mo/edit?usp=drivesdk

We are hopeful that this experience continues to build a foundation for our Debate+ agenda and place-based learning philosophy. Obviously not everything can be as big and flashy as a trip to Japan, but these kinds of experiences are not only something that can set CARD apart from other formats, it is, in my experience thus far (and I would love to hear some of the other coaches who have been involved in this or previous endeavors chime in on this point) an incredibly enriching and empowering pedagogical tool for building deeper learning about, and tangible interaction with, our topics. Would love to further explore such ideas and options with you all."

-Korry Harvey (Assistant Director, Western Washington University)