Our Initiatives

CEI aims to promote understanding between Japan and the US, with a focus on local and underserved communities of Japan and the greater area of Boston.

2023 CEI Spark Exchange Program

Provide exchange opportunities

Beginning in 2018, our flagship program, CEI Spark®, offers insight into Japan's rich culture through a short-term summer exchange program. We provide opportunities for participants to discover their new potential and achieve their dreams.

The 2026 Spark Exchange Program application is now open.

2025 Spark Program

The 2025 Spark program marked an exciting year of growth. Spark introduced a new Negotiation Camp in Fukuoka, while also running two Active Presentation Camps in Fukuoka and Nagoya. Across all three programs, participants built confidence in English through interactive activities, presentations, discussion, and collaboration.

A woman giving a presentation in a classroom to students seated at tables, with a slide about studying abroad and Hogwarts on the screen.

A woman in a black shirt presenting a slide on a large screen during a classroom or seminar, with students taking notes and using electronic devices.

Group of five young women and a young man sitting around a white table engaged in discussion with notes, pens, tablets, and stationery on the table.

2024 Programs

Children in a classroom participating in a dance or play activity, with two teachers supervising. All children and teachers are wearing masks, and classroom decorations include sunflowers on the wall.

A large group of students and teachers posing in a classroom with a projection screen displaying 'CEI Spark Certificates Cultural Exchange Initiative' in the background. The students are dressed in school uniforms with white shirts and dark skirts or pants, some making peace signs or heart gestures.

Group of people, including young adults and older individuals, gathered in a room for a group photo. Some are making peace signs, and a banner in the background reads "Cultural Exchange Initiative." The room has beige walls, a gray curtain, and an air conditioning unit.

The 2024 CEI Spark program features two groups. One group hosted a 2-week English Immersion After-School Program in Kani city (left 1). The other group hosted two 3-day Summer English Active Presentation Camps in the Nagoya and Fukuoka areas (right 2).
Location: Fukuoka, Nagoya, Kani, Japan

2023 Programs

A classroom with children sitting on the floor, listening to a man with curly blond hair who is holding up a picture of a panda. Two women stand nearby, one holding a pointer and the other observing. Bookshelves filled with various books are in the background.

Group photo of diverse young students and adults in a classroom, smiling and making peace signs. There is a blackboard stained with white chalk, a projector screen displaying a presentation titled 'CEI Spark,' and a clock showing approximately 10:03.

The 2023 CEI Spark program features two groups. One group hosted a 2-week English Immersion After-School Program from July 31st to August 10th in Kani city (left). The other group hosted a 3-day Summer English Active Presentation Camp from August 4th to August 6th in the Nagoya area for 30 high school students (right).
Location: Nagoya, Kani, Japan

Previous years

Group of eight diverse people smiling and posing for a photo in an indoor setting, some seated on a brown leather couch and others standing behind.

2022 Program participants led after-school sessions at nine schools with more than 1,000 students. They also visited local people’s homes to enjoy BBQ including Nagashi Soumen and fireworks,
Location: Kani City, Japan

Group of twelve people, smiling and posing, holding a banner that reads 'Cultural Exchange Initiative', inside a room with wooden walls.

2019 Participants taught in-person English classes (7 days) at five schools. They also trained three high school English speech contenders.
Host city: Mino City, Japan

Classroom with students at desks, two teachers standing at the front, and educational posters on the wall.

2018 Program offered in-person English conversation classes to students. Participants stayed at a local home for one week to live with a typical Japanese family.
Host city: Mino City, Japan

Develop communication skills

CEI offers intensive Japanese language courses taught at our local partner schools in Japan. We also provide Japanese students and local communities with conversation-oriented English sessions led by native English speakers.

FEATURED ACTIVITIES

A young man wearing glasses, a gray cap, and a black t-shirt stands behind a wooden podium labeled YAMASA, holding and looking at a smartphone, with a red and white checkered background featuring the logos and text related to YAMASA Institute.

A man with blond hair wearing a black face mask, white shirt, and black tie, standing in front of a classroom. He is holding a sheet of paper with an eye chart and pointing at it with his index finger.

Conversational-focused classes with native speakers
CEIはアメリカ人講師によるオンライン英会話教室を無料でお子さんに提供いたします。

8 participants from the 2019 CEI Spark Program studied Japanese at the YAMASA Institute in Okazaki, Japan.

Group of diverse adults and children sitting in a circle inside a wooden room, engaging in a discussion, with some holding papers or booklets.

CEI offered an in-person English café to young children through adults in Japan.

Screenshot of an online video conference with participants from diverse backgrounds, related to the Cultural Exchange Initiative for English-Japanese Conversation.

During the COVID pandemic period, we offered free online Japanese language classes taught by Japanese native teachers.

Increase culture awareness

Our range of activities, including short-term programs, workshops, and special classes, are designed to enhance cultural awareness and provide valuable insights into Japan's rich culture.

FEATURED ACTIVITIES

Sign for a reception check-in area for an anime event, with anime characters depicted on the lower part of the sign. People are standing in line in the background.

Let’s Talk About Anime: In collaboration with Showa Boston Japanese Language Program and Anime Boston, we offered free three-day Japanese language classes focusing on anime. It included guest speakers that specialized in anime, manga, and gaming.

Two women are washing something in a traditional wooden tub of water. They are both wearing aprons, one in cream and the other in pink, and working together.

2019 CEI Spark Program participants experienced Zazen and visited Mino Washi making and related museums in Mino City, Japan.

A group of people sitting in an auditorium, some with notebooks, listening to a presentation or lecture.

Our workshops are designed to help people understand how languages are used in different cultural contexts, providing valuable insights into the nuances of communication across cultures.

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