Tokyo International University of America

The one-year program at Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) and Willamette University enables students to pursue academic goals, develop intercultural awareness, and explore personal values and interests. Co-curricular programs are designed to offer students opportunities to learn through experience about other people and cultures. As a result, students also gain and share insights about their own traditions and values.

TIUA Students Receive Award

On July 21 at the City of Salem Volunteer Recognition Celebration, the Salem City Council presented the students of TIUA with the Mayor's Youth Achievement Award, a special award given to a youth or a youth group involved in a volunteer project benefiting the city. The award recognizes students for their "hard work and energetic spirit providing significant service time to our community" and includes student contributions to service from summer 2009 through spring 2010. Video of the award ceremony can be viewed at the CCTV web site.

Over 200 students have contributed more than 4500 hours to various projects in Salem, from face painting and performing taiko at SESNA neighborhood events to sorting food donations at Marion Polk Food Share and serving meals at Union Gospel Mission.

We would like to thank all of our community partners for supporting our students and for creating so many opportunities for them to get involved and have truly amazing experiences as engaged citizens during their time here in Salem.

Congratulations students, for your amazing commitment to service in the Salem community!

A Generous Gift

Eighty-three TIU students, who are studying abroad at TIUA this year, donated a total 600,339 miles to Delta's Sky Wish Program to benefit the Japan Marrow Donor Registry. This is the third time that TIU students donated mileage to the program. Representatives from Delta Airlines, the Japan Marrow Donor Registry, and JTB, a travel agency used by TIU, visited the TIU campus and presented a plaque to Tsugio Tajiri, President of TIU and TIUA.

First in TIU History

Naomi Aihara, Senior, Achieves TOEIC 990 (The highest possible score)

At the TOEIC Institutional Program on July 6, 2010, Ms. Naomi Aihara, Senior at the School of Language Communication at Tokyo International University, achieved the highest possible score on the TOEIC test. The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is "an English language test designed specifically to measure the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment."

"Language in Motion" Program

In the Spring semester 2010, seventeen TIUA students volunteered with Willamette University's "Language in Motion" (LiM) program. LiM works to bring the cultures of the world to Salem/Keizer school children, recruiting international students at Willamette to give presentations about their home countries. This spring, TIUA students shared Japanese culture in various places such as McKinley Elementary, Queen of Peace Elementary, St. Joseph's Catholic School, and the YMCA.

TIUA student Mari Ishikawa was instrumental in getting her peers involved in the project, gathering volunteers and helping to prepare materials for the presentations. "It's hard ... TIUA students are very busy," said Mari, "but we had a lot of fun. It is a good experience for us!" Using photos, origami, and calligraphy, the volunteers were able to share Japanese culture with American students.

Special thanks to Beth Kowal and Chris Andresen at Willamette University's Office of International Education for bringing Language in Motion to the Salem/Keizer community. For more information on the LiM program, go here: http://www.willamette.edu/dept/oie/connections/lim/index.php