DIG NPO FUTURE EDUCATORS PROGRAM

Internship Application Form

Spring 2026 Program

A 9-week online internship (with 1 month of previous training) where you’ll co-facilitate learning experiences with high school students from around the world—starting with Japan.

This year’s theme: Inner Transformation—exploring how personal change creates global change.

Goals

→ Practice, don’t just theorize. Apply SUA Founder’s five core principles of Global Citizenship Education with real students in real time.

→ Discover your educator identity. Is teaching your path? Find out through hands-on experience.

→ Join a global network. Connect with SUA alumni educators and practitioners worldwide.

→ Make it count. Receive mentorship from experienced SUA alumni while making a tangible impact on young lives.

What you will do

Phase 1 (1 month): Deep training in GCE principles, facilitation techniques, and dialogue practice

Phase 2 (1 month of training + 9 weeks Practicum):

Training Weeks 1-3: Lead large group sessions introducing global citizenship
Practicum Weeks 1-8: Facilitate small group projects (you + 1 partner + high school students)
Practicum Week 9: Guide students through final project presentations

All online. No travel required. Just your heart, your laptop, and your commitment.

You don’t need teaching experience. You need:

Curiosity about global citizenship and Ikeda’s educational philosophy
Humility to position yourself as a co-learner, not an expert
Cultural sensitivity to work with students from different backgrounds
Commitment to show up consistently across Spring 2026 semester
Courage to step outside your comfort zone

Spring 2026 Program Timeline

Applications Open: December 15, 2025
Application Deadline: January 20, 2026
Interviews: From December 20, 2025 – January 26, 2026
Final Announcement: January 27, 2026
Training Begins: February 7, 2026
Student Sessions: March 7-May 3, 2026

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Fill out the application form below
Step 2: Selected candidates will be invited to interview

Only 10-20 spots available for our pilot cohort.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

Internship Application Form

First name

Family name

SUA Email Address (@soka.edu)

Expected Graduation Date

Current year Current year First year Second year Third year Fourth year

Concentration Concentration Environmental Studies Humanities International Studies Life Science Social-Behavioral Sciences

Preferred Pronouns

Time Commitment Understanding Time Commitment Understanding This program requires participation in a 1-month training phase followed by a 9-week implementation phase. Sessions will be held [INSERT SPECIFIC DAYS/TIMES]. A minimum 70% attendance rate is required to receive a certificate. Do you confirm you can commit to this schedule? Yes, I can commit to this schedule No, I have conflicts but want to discuss alternatives I'm unsure and need more information

Academic Calendar Alignment Please list any known conflicts with the program timeline (study abroad, internships, heavy course load periods, etc.):

Time Zone What time zone will you be in during Spring 2026?

Experience in Education Experience in Education Have you had any experience in teaching, tutoring, mentoring, or facilitating learning? (Check all that apply) Formal teaching or tutoring Peer mentoring Workshop facilitation Youth program leadership Other (please specify below) No formal experience, but eager to learn

Experience Details If you checked any boxes above, briefly describe your most meaningful educational experience (2-3 sentences):

Cross-Cultural Experience This program involves working with high school students from Japan (and potentially other countries in the future). Please describe your experience interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds:

Language Skills What languages do you speak, and at what proficiency level (Native/Fluent/Conversational/Basic)?

Global Citizenship Education Global Citizenship Education How familiar are you with Global Citizenship Education (GCE) principles? (Select one) Very familiar - I've studied it academically or practiced it Somewhat familiar - I understand the basic concepts Heard of it but don't know details Not familiar, but excited to learn

Soka Education Connection What aspects of Soka education and philosophy resonate most with you? How do you see these principles applying to your role as a facilitator?

Motivation Why do you want to participate in the Future Educators Program specifically? What do you hope to gain from this experience? And how does it connect to your future goals?

Technology Comfort Technology Comfort Rate your comfort level with online platforms (Zoom, Google Workspace, Learning Management Systems, collaborative tools): Very comfortable - I use these regularly Comfortable - I can navigate them with ease Somewhat comfortable - I may need some guidance Not comfortable - I would need significant support

Working with Minors Working with Minors This program involves facilitating sessions with high school students (minors). Are you comfortable working with this age group in an educational capacity? Yes, I'm comfortable I have some concerns but am willing to learn No, I'm not comfortable

Faculty/Staff Reference Please provide the name and email of one SUA faculty or staff member who can speak to your academic engagement and character:

Peer/Additional Reference Provide a second reference if desired:

As part of our commitment to advancing Global Citizenship Education, we may use anonymized program data to:

Inform research on Ikeda's educational philosophy in practice
Contribute to academic publications and presentations by SUA's Soka Institute for Global Solutions (SIGS)
Improve future iterations of this program
Share learnings with the broader GCE community

This may include anonymized data from:

Your application materials (essays, responses)
Session participation and engagement metrics
Reflection exercises and feedback surveys
Program outcome assessments

Your identity will remain confidential. Any published research will use pseudonyms or aggregate data only. Your participation in the program is NOT contingent on this consent.

Research Participation Consent Research Participation Consent Do you consent to having your anonymized program data used for future research purposes? Yes, I consent to my anonymized data being used for research and publications Yes, with restrictions (please specify below what you consent to/don't consent to) No, I do not consent (I still want to participate in the program, but prefer my data not be used for research)

Research Participation Preferences If you selected "Yes, with restrictions," please specify:

Research Contact Method If you checked any boxes above, please provide your preferred contact method for research follow-up:

Extended Research Participation Extended Research Participation Beyond anonymized data, would you be willing to participate in any of the following for research purposes? (Check all that apply) Post-program interviews about your experience (30-60 minutes) Focus groups with other participants Long-term follow-up surveys (6 months, 1 year after program completion) Case study participation (with pseudonym protection) None of the above

"By participating in this program, I understand that program data may be collected for research purposes. I have been informed that:

My participation in research is voluntary and separate from my participation in the program
I can withdraw consent for research use at any time without affecting my program standing
Anonymized data may be shared with academic researchers and institutions
I can request to review of any published materials that include my data
I can always contact the following email for research questions: [email protected] "

Final Reseach Decision Final Reseach Decision Agree Withdraw consent for research use I would like to discuss this in my interview before agreeing or withdrawing

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