UF Japanese Program Connects Japan with Area Schools
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The University of Findlay’s Japanese program has been awarded a $5,000
grant to launch a new outreach project titled “Connecting Japan with
Hancock County, Ohio.” The program aims to integrate Japanese culture
into the elementary school curriculum of rural northwest Ohio.
With Japanese nationals representing one percent of the total
population in Hancock County, Dr. Hiro Kawamura, UF associate professor
of Japanese, applied for the grant in hopes of connecting the Japanese
community with the Hancock County community.
“I have always been interested in extending Japanese culture to the community,” said Kawamura.
Although UF’s Japanese program has been working with the Findlay city
school system for some time through Findlay After and Before School
Sessions and other projects, there has not been much representation of
Japanese culture in surrounding areas.
“It is my desire to extend our program’s efforts to the larger Hancock
County area, especially to schools in the rural area. I would like
elementary school students to experience Japanese people, not at an
abstract level but as real people,” said Kawamura.
Approximately 150 students enrolled in the third, fourth and fifth
grades of Van Buren and McComb elementary schools have been selected to
participate in the program. Teacher interests as well as close physical
distance to the University are a few of the factors involved in the
selection.
Curriculum for the program primarily focuses on “People in Societies,”
collaborating with one of the learning objectives of the Ohio Social
Studies Standards.
The project grant includes four components including workshops, home
visits, classroom visits and a video and letter exchange that will be
completed during the next five months.
Hancock county schoolteachers will attend workshops at The University
of Findlay to help them establish a common knowledge base about Japan,
integrate and compose curriculum into program activities according to
the Ohio Social Studies Standards and evaluate program activities.
The University of Findlay will also coordinate a home visit program in
which teachers will be introduced to at least one Japanese home in
Hancock County.
Students participating in the program will be given the opportunity to
experience the clothing, language, food, performing arts, religion and
historical background of Japanese culture through activities conducted
during a class visit from UF students and Japanese community members.
In the final weeks of the program, students will take part in an
introduction video and letter exchange with three elementary schools in
Japan.
Although Kawamura says the project will not become an annual event, he
will continue his efforts to connect the community with Japan.
“With other grants, I hope to start programs in different schools next
year,” said Kawamura. “I also hope that other schools will begin to use
The University of Findlay as a resource center for learning.”
By Diana Musgrave
Junior communication major
Arlington, Ohio
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