Welcome Mission The mission of the J-Corps, Jr. program is to build greater mutual understanding of the cultures of the United States and Japan among the American and Japanese participants in the high school community. Since 1985, many American schools began offering the study of Japanese language in their schools. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 pre-collegiate schools offering Japanese. This J-corps Jr. program expects the exchange student to share in the learning of Japanese and Japanese culture with their peers and in turn receive help from the American students with the English language work. Because of this program’s goals, participants will be able to contribute to the host school by being a lively and engaged “student cultural ambassador.” Participants in our program will: Contributing to enhance of the host schools ’ Japanese language program Sharing contemporary Japanese language and culture, thereby enhancing his or her American peer' efforts to learn about Japan Understanding of American culture and its educational system will be improved through his/her unique role as a cultural bridge