About

“Remember that consciousness is power. Consciousness is education and knowledge. Consciousness is becoming aware. It is the perfect vehicle for students. Consciousness-raising is pertinent for power, and be sure that power will not be abusively used, but used for building trust and goodwill domestically and internationally. Tomorrow’s world is yours to build.” -Yuri Kochiyama, incarcerated in Jerome, Arkansa during WWII

Bridging Communities is a program for high school students that provides the opportunity for interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue, community learning, and individual growth. For this year, Bridging Communities will consist of two one-day educational retreats on March 15th and March 22nd, 2014, including a trip to the Manzanar National Historic Site, a WWII Japanese American Confinement Site. After these retreats, the participants will apply what they have learned back to their communities through youth-led projects and workshops.

This year, Bridging Communities is funded by the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program from the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). The primary goal of the grant is to preserve the memory and realize the significance of Japanese American incarceration experience in future generations.

For more information, contact sarah amarragy at samarragy@jacl.com.