The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (the Center/JCCCNC) is pleased to announce that applications are now available for the 2025 Kase Nikkei Community Scholarship Program. The Kase Program offers college students the opportunity to support their education financially and the Japanese American community while interning at the Center. It will also allow participants to increase their understanding of contemporary issues affecting San Francisco’s Japantown and provide valuable hands-on work and professional training.
Up to four (4) participants will be selected to participate and receive a $5,000 educational scholarship for their successful completion of the Kase Program. Coordinated by the JCCCNC, the program's goal is to support the development of the next generation of community leaders.
During the 11-week Kase Program (June 1-August 22, 2025), Kase interns will gain project management, public speaking, event planning, budgeting, computer applications, marketing, and other skills and personal development activities that will enhance their resumes. Interns will work closely with the Center staff on unique individual/group projects designed to empower them with new tools, confidence and experiences to support their future career goals.
As part of the Kase Program, interns will participate in the eight-week Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) Program. One day each week, Kase interns will meet and work with NCI students to learn about community service, volunteerism and cultural and community preservation. They will visit local Japanese American organizations and community leaders to expand their knowledge of services, resources, opportunities and issues we currently face.
Kase Program participants will be selected based on their application, letter of recommendation, and an interview.
Important information about the Kase Nikkei Youth Scholarship Program:
1. Participants must be available full-time (and some weekends) from June 1-August 22, 2025. This will be an in-person internship at the Center in San Francisco's Japantown.
a. If you are interested in participating but dates conflict with your school schedule, please note that on your application.
2. To be eligible for the 2025 Kase Program, applicants must be continuing college in the fall of 2025 or have recently graduated from college and be 18 years or older at the start of the program (birth date on or before June 14, 2007).
3. Applications are DUE on Friday, April 25, 2025.
After the initial applications are submitted, qualified applicants will be invited to an interview, and participants will be selected by May 15, 2025.
Please submit the application and letter of recommendation by April 25, 2025, to:
JCCCNC
Attn: Kase Scholarship
1840 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Applications can be emailed to lmatoba@jcccnc.org to meet the April 25 deadline. Still, the original application and letter of recommendation need to be received by mail by April 30 to be considered for the program.
For more information or to download an application, visit bit.ly/kaseinternship or contact me at (415) 567-5505 x 226 or email lmatoba@jcccnc.org.
