In keeping with our commitment to provide our employees and their families with every opportunity to realize their full potential, Toshiba sponsors the annual Youth for Understanding (YFU) scholarship program for employee children from 15 to 18 years of age. The YFU scholarship gives U.S. students the opportunity to visit and live in Japan. Since its inception in 1984, a total of 72 students have studied in Japan, staying with host families and attending local schools.

This year, Jenny Duan (top picture) and Hari Hagge (bottom picture), whose parents work for Westinghouse and Toshiba Business Solutions in Canada, respectively, were selected to visit Japan for six weeks. Jenny and Hari stayed in Kanagawa near Tokyo.

While in Japan, Jenny and Hari had an opportunity to visit the Toshiba Science Museum. Hari says he didn’t think the company has been around so long and didn’t know they made so many other products like water coolers, rice cookers and refrigerators. Jenny says the trip was more than just an experience or vacation – it taught her many life lessons and gave her a new family and friends she will have forever. She also says she gained a new understanding of a different culture and learned to respect different people and perspectives in a new way. .

Toshiba thinks highly of its people and encourages them to take part in community involvement activities. To recognize outstanding community service activities in America and Canada, Toshiba America's Chairman is announcing an award for employees in the U.S. and Canada who contributed to their communities. The award winners will enjoy a trip to join the ExploraVision Awards Weekend, Toshiba's core CSR activity in Washington, D.C. every June.

Power to the People is a grassroots organization bringing solar power to schools and medical facilities in remote villages throughout Nicaragua. "The people of El Caribe, Nicaragua, go to bed when the sun goes down because there is no light to read by, no way to study, no entertainment or news to watch or listen to. Through Power to the People, we set up a solar panel system and installed Toshiba LED light bulbs bringing light to the community... meaningful changes for a deserving community."- Colleen Smith, 2011 Toshiba America and Canada's Chairman's Award Recipient, Power To The People

Every year since 2004, the Toshiba President's "ASHITA" (Japanese for tomorrow) Awards are presented to a company or employees who made an outstanding contribution to strengthen and promote good corporate citizenship activities throughout the Toshiba Group worldwide to earn the trust of society and to ensure sustainable development in the community we operate.

U.S. "ASHITA" Winners
Out of over 1,000 entries globally, Westinghouse's "Day of Caring" and TABS/TAIS's Habitat for Humanity activities were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community as the U.S. ASHITA winners.

Westinghouse organized a "Day of Caring," in which its employees participated in activities at three western Pennsylvania organizations: 4 Kids Early Learning Center, Mars Home for Youth and the Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICE).

TABS and TAIS are proud to be official "Whole House" sponsors as part of a 3-year program with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. They participated in special "build days" where TABS and TAIS employees helped to build homes at the San Juan Capistrano, Homes for Heroes site. In addition, TAIS DPD is an "Official Technology Sponsor" of Habitat for Humanity – OC. This means that over the course of the three years, 150 Habitat families throughout Orange County will receive new laptops. At one of the laptop distribution events included Toshiba employees from TAIS spending the morning with 10 Habitat families teaching them how to use their new laptop.

• Click here for information on past activities.