The GREEN Program

Receiving the email to apply for this program was a blessing in disguise. For years, I have been dreaming of returning to Japan and helping clean up the remnants of the 2011 Disaster. Which is one of the reasons why I decided to study Nuclear Engineering. So you can imagine when I received the email, I knew this trip was the perfect one for me. When I arrived to the program late, everyone was incredibly welcoming. Each day ended up being packed with the coolest things I have ever experienced: tours to facilities and agencies doing incredible things to help Japan, things that I have wanted to do. My favorite part was visiting Fukushima Daini and touring inside the reactor buildings. I have been inside a few running reactor plants, but since Daini is being decommissioned it was radiologically safe for us to going inside the primary containment vessel and underneath the control rods (something I have never been able to do before). The JAEA was also super cool because that is where they build and test the robots that go into Fukushima Daiichi for surveillance and clean up. The FREA talked to us about all of the interesting and feasible renewable energy sources they are utilizing now, which is a huge confidence boost knowing that there are various renewable energies being successful in Japan. The cultural immersion was awesome for a program that wasn't a home-stay. It was really fun getting to stay at traditional hotels, experiencing the multiple onsen, and interacting with locals. I can honestly say that my home-stay in 2015 was incomparable to this trip.

My experience on the Green Program completely demolished my (already high) expectations. The educational experiences (site visits, classes, capstone projects) were ones that I couldn’t have had in a different environment, and ones that I feel have revamped and reinvigorated my already intense passion for sustainability issues. The cultural experiences were amazing as well—there were way more activities along these lines than I expected, and they were all fantastic! As someone studying Japanese for a couple of years now, it was great to be able to get a feel for Japan in different settings, as well as practice my language skills every day. Overall, the Green Program is worth every cent. Not only because of the experiences you’ll have, but because of the people you’ll meet and the friends you’ll make. I’ve been telling everyone since I returned that it was the most intellectually stimulating experience of my life and I truly believe that. It’s also just tons of fun! 10/10!

My excursion to Japan through The Green Program opened my eyes to current political, social, and economic issues surrounding sustainability that exist in Japan and around the world. This is typically the extent of knowledge that I would expect to receive based on how academics are run, however The Green Program takes it numerous steps further. Taking on a whole new world in the region of Fukushima, my fellow students and I were living like locals. From the Onsens in the Ryokans, to Samurai School, to calligraphy classes, The Green Program made sure we gained a better understanding of Japanese culture all while having lots of fun. Our guide, fluent in English and Japanese, didn't spare any details in teaching us about Japan. In the classroom we learned the facts, and on site we became a part of the experience. I can honestly say that the method of using the world as our classroom was very effective in teaching me about nuclear and renewable energy. I am forever thankful for The Green Program and how my experience enabled me to realize that I can effectively share my knowledge on serious matters while still having fun. The capstone projects created by my fellow students made it very clear to me that our world is in good hands.