Mazda Awards Scholarships for 2013 YFU Japan Program

WASHINGTON, DC--May 16, 2013:  The Mazda Foundation is pleased to announce the six recipients of the Mazda scholarships to the 2013 Youth For Understanding (YFU) international high school exchange program in Japan. The scholarship winners will spend six weeks this summer living with host families near Mazda's worldwide headquarters in Hiroshima. 

The following sons and daughters of MNAO and Mazda Dealer employees received scholarships:

Since 1984, The Mazda Foundation has funded Youth for Understanding (YFU) in order to promote cross-cultural understanding between America and Japan. The YFU scholarship from the Mazda Foundation, which is valued at $9,895.00, provides round-trip domestic and international air travel, placement with a specially selected host family in Japan for six weeks, a pre-departure orientation and support services provided by YFU in Japan and the U.S.

This year's select group of students will join the more than 250,000 young people who have participated in an exchange program with YFU. 

The program begins at the University of California, Berkeley, with a three-day pre-departure orientation, which emphasizes Japanese language, culture and etiquette. Students then fly to Japan, where they learn about Japanese culture by living with Japanese host families, participating in local activities, visiting schools and one-on-one interaction with their host families. The students' Japan experience will culminate with a visit to Mazda's Headquarters in Hiroshima where they will have the opportunity to meet with Mazda Motor Corporation engineers and designers.

The Mazda Foundation is proud to be able to provide this truly unique opportunity to such a diverse group of high school students.