H-Lab Summer School Program, co-organized by Harvard College Japan Initiative (HCJI) and Liberal Arts beyond Borders (LAB), is an eight day long liberal arts program held annually in Tokyo. Founded with a mission to foster scholarship and broaden future options of young people, H-Lab introduced Japanese high school students to an enriching experience of liberal arts education. Students from 25 colleges in the US and Japan took on the role of mentors and also offered classes to high school students in the fields of their specialties as instructors.

At H-Lab, manaba was utilized thoroughly for two purposes: to deliver Liberal Arts Seminars and to facilitate continuing communication among the participants.

During the preparation period of the program, student mentors, who were spread around the world, developed curricula together by using manaba’s forums. Even before the program started, the high school student participants used manaba to create communities to get to know other and prepare for the program.

During the program, manaba’s unique portfolio feature enriched the student experience. Students actively exchanged their thoughts and opinions after attending distinguished speakers’ lectures. Mentors used the management feature to accumulate and share information on individual students’ interests and characteristics, as well as each participant’s notes. They utilized this information to provide the student’s with necessary support and advice.

It didn’t stop there. manaba then served as a catalyst of all the post-program interactions. Students posted recent updates of their activities, shared information about programs they were involved with, and even utilized manaba as a platform to launch brand new projects together. Students also started conversations on academic majors or career paths they were interested in. Observing those interactions, the mentors were able to identify a student’s specific interests and needs, and provide appropriate guidance utilizing their own experiences in studying abroad and choosing different majors.

H-Lab succeeded in creating a true place of mutual learning that brought life-changing experiences through human interactions. manaba was able to reinforce the program’s philosophy and educational spirit to assist the program to achieve its mission.