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Japan
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Hakuba International School emphasizes project-based learning across its curriculum and offers 45+ academic courses. The Outdoor Learning program links academics with field experiences through mandatory camps and seasonal expeditions. The Summer Program delivers project-based learning with a sustainability theme, including science, systems thinking, and outdoor activities. These experiences connect classroom content to real-world inquiry and collaboration.
Arts and creative activities are incorporated into the Summer Program, which includes music and art as part of its offerings. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary projects that blend science, art, and systems thinking with outdoor learning. The summer experience supports creative expression through hands-on, project-based activities.
Social development is supported through advisory groups that meet daily under guides, and through dorm-life communities that foster collaboration and independence. Advisory Camp and regular camps help students build friendships and trust in a group setting. Optional weekend excursions and Wednesday afternoon outings provide additional opportunities for social interaction.
Leadership development is embedded in the school model through Guides who lead advisory groups and by offering opportunities for peer mentoring within outdoor learning. Students may lead elements of trips and mentor younger peers as part of the program. Residential life reinforces responsibility, independence, and collaboration as foundational leadership skills.
Well-being is a central focus of HIS, with a strong emphasis on balance among academics, sport, and outdoor activity. The program includes a weekly polar swim as part of its wellness routine. The campus and surrounding Hakuba valley enable year‑round outdoor pursuits such as skiing, trekking, river activities, and nature exploration.
Hakuba International School is a small international boarding and day school in Japan’s Hakuba Valley (Nagano Prefecture), near the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. For 2025–26 it serves Grades 7–11, with plans to reach Grades 7–12 by 2026-27. English is the language of instruction and all students study Japanese at an appropriate level. The school describes a university-preparatory program built around its “Human Flourishing Curriculum,” and it uses project-based learning alongside social-emotional learning. A distinctive feature is its calendar structure: six-week project “bursts” separated by weeks that include outdoor expeditions. Boarding life is supported by two dormitories (girls’ and boys’) that together house almost 50 students.
