Long Beach-Yokkaichi Sister City Association

Founded in 1963

City of Long Beach Logo
Yokkaichi Logo
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MISSION STATEMENT
“To create rapport between the cities by exchanging cultural, civic,  educational ideas and issues, and to promote better understanding and friendship between the United States and Japan.”

Siter City Logo(color) Transparent

Environmental Summit Program

About

In 2007 former Yokkaichi Mayor Tetsuo Inoue proposed that a delegation of Long Beach students travel to Yokkaichi to discuss environmental problems and solutions with students from Japan and China in cooperation with the Port of Long Beach and other environmental groups. 

Each summer four high school students (ages 15-7)  and a chaperone from Long Beach take part in this annual environmental summit.

Expenses, including round-trip airfare, are the responsibility of the students and chaperone.  All applicants must have a current passport and have no visible tattoos.

Please contact Mike Vaughn @ mikevaughn1997@gmail.com or 562-592-9350 with any questions.
 

2023 Environmental Summit Team

2023  Environmental Summit consisted of Chaperone Jennifer Macklin and students Aldir Moreira, Kimberly Rosas, Joseph Valdespino, and Alexis Wallace.  All are from McBride High School in Long Beach.

The students left Long Beach on July 31, 2023 and stayed at the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT).  Each member was given a dorm room and enjoyed daily meals while interacting with teams from Yokkaichi and China.

The theme this year was: “Realizing carbon neutrality--Let’s think about global warming.”

Between studies, the teams were able to have some fun such as, touring the city of Kyoto, attending the Yokkaichi Festival, visiting a tea plantation, and learning flower arrranging.

At the end of the week, each team gave a presentation on solutions for preventing global warming.
 

2023-08 ES in Yokkaichi Presentation
2023-08 Env Summit in Yokkaichi - Tea Plantation

Presentation Day.

Visiting a Tea Plantation in Yokkaichi.

2024 Environmental Summit Applications

LBYSCA will be interviewing Long Beach high school students (15-17) and a chaperone or teacher for the opportunity to participate in a
7-day environmental study program with students from Tianjin, China and Yokkaichi, Japan.

Depart LAX Sunday, July 28, 2024
Return to LAX Monday, August 5, 2024

Round-trip airfare from LAX will be the responsibility
of the selected Environmental Summit Team Members

Please download the following forms:

Student Forms
Overview and Information - Student
Application Form - Student
Checklist - Student

Chaperone or Teacher Forms
Overview and Information - Chaperone
Application Form - Chaperone
Checklist - Chaperone

Return application and all supporting documents via email or Fax
no later than Friday, March 29, 2024, 5:00 PM

Mike Vaughn
mikevaughn1997@gmail.com
Fax:  562-684-4459

All Applicants - Please read below:

Recruitment for Environmental Summit 2024

1.  Purpose
The purpose of Environmental Summit is to allow high school students from Long Beach City, which is a sister city of Yokkaichi City, and Tianjin City, which is a friendship city of Yokkaichi City, to have training and exchange their opinions with high school students from Yokkaichi City and deepen the mutual understanding, so that young people, who are responsible for the next generation, think about the environment from a global perspective and enhance their activities for preserving the environment in their own cities.

2.  Period
July 29th, 2024 – August 5th, 2024*
*Japan time zone

3.  Theme:  “Towards Nature Positive - Let's think about biodiversity conservation”
In recent years, the decline in biodiversity due to development, overexploitation and global environmental change has become a problem on a global scale. Biodiversity is fundamental to human life, so appropriate action is needed to conserve and protect it. The tentative destinations that participants will visit are as follows:
--Yokkaichi Pollution and Environmental Museum for Future Awareness
--Yokkaichi City Clean Center
--Yoshizaki Beach,  etc.

*“Nature positive” (nature revitalization):  Stopping and reversing the loss of biodiversity in order to put nature on a recovery track.

4.  Participants
--4 high school students and 1 chaperone from Tianjin City
--
4 high school students and 1 chaperone from Long Beach City
--4 high school students from Yokkaichi City

5.  Cost Burden
Yokkaichi City will cover the costs for accommodation, meal and transportation including pickup and drop-off at Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) during the stay in Yokkaichi City.

6. 
Other
Each participant will obtain a certificate of completion.

7.  About International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT)
ICETT - the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer - was established in 1990 through the cooperation of industry, government, academia and locals. Its purpose is to transfer environmental preservation system of Japan to other countries, to help remedy their environmental issues, as well as our own, thereby contributing to the protection of the global environment and the sustainable development of the world economy.