February 27, 2020
Dear Center for Global Citizenship Japan Program Participants and Families,
In light of ongoing public health issues related to the still evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation abroad and specifically in Japan, the Hathaway Brown Center for Global Citizenship and the school's administration are postponing the Global Scholars program in Japan this March.
Our decision has been informed by reports and travel alerts issued by national and international agencies including the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, International SOS, and the U.S. State Department. We also have been in steady consultation with our in-country providers and other member independent schools in the Global Education Benchmark Group consortium. The systems we've carefully put into place to support international programs at Hathaway Brown are designed to help us make decisions that are in the best interest of our school community, and every indication we have is that it is not prudent to travel to Japan at this time.
We recognize that this decision is disappointing, and families and students will likely have a number of questions. We are working on plans to reschedule this program offering for next spring but logistics are still pending. We will remain in steady communication with all of you and will be happy to discuss individually with you what this postponement means for your family. All of our decisions related to global programming are made with the safety and well-being of our students at the top of our minds. I want to personally thank all of the Global Scholars and their Program Leaders, who have done a tremendous job preparing for this program for the last several months.
Thank you for your partnership. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly with questions or concerns.
Best,
Mike Ciuni
Director of the Center for Global Citizenship