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Lang Can: CAN$1million for Japan appeal

Languages Canada member schools have helped raise more than CAN$1million for a scholarship scheme commemorating the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The Hope for Youth programme offers Japanese students affected by the disaster full scholarships for English and French language education...
March 16 2012
1 Min Read

Members of Canada’s most prominent language school association, Languages Canada, have helped raise more than CAN$1million for a scholarship scheme commemorating the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Hope for Youth programme offers Japanese students affected by the disaster full scholarships for English and French language education in Canadian schools. Students also receive free tuition, airfare, insurance and accommodation during their studies.

“The idea of Hope for Youth was immediately endorsed by our executive committee,” said Gonzalo Peralta, executive director of Languages Canada. “Our members, French and English, public and private, across the country were deeply affected by this disaster and felt the need to give back to Japan, whose students have been attending our institutions for decades.”

The earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku in 2011 and ensuing tsunami caused one of Japan’s biggest humanitarian crises. It left 15,854 people dead, 26,992 injured and 3,155 people missing, along with widespread structural damage and displacement.

With the support of the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, 100 of the 150 Hope for Youth scholarships have been awarded to date, with the remaining 50 expected to be allocated as the programme’s first year comes to a close. The Canadian Embassy and Languages Canada are now considering extending the programme.

“The generosity of our members and partners has been nothing short of extraordinary. And the appreciation and wonderment of the students participating in Hope for Youth adds an entirely new dimension,” said Peralta.

Languages Canada’s 170 members represent 60 programmes from the public sector and more than 110 from the private sector. Over 130,000 students enrolled in Languages Canada programs in 2010.

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