AFMC Command News

Branch students welcome back teacher after Japan trip

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Francesca Carrano
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFMCNS) --  From tasting wasabi and other Japanese foods to receiving intercultural insight, fourth-graders from Branch Elementary School will walk away from this school year enriched through an experience that goes beyond traditional learning. 

Though Branch is not a Department of Defense school, it is located on Edwards Air Force Base and is attended by school-aged military and civil service dependents. As a participant in the Japan Fulbright Memorial program, Karla Olsen, a fourth-grade teacher at Branch, returned from Japan with an expanse of knowledge and experiences to share with her students.

The program was designed to foster mutual understanding through the exchange of university students, faculty and teachers, providing learning opportunities for American educators, Ms. Olsen said.

During her monthlong trip to Japan, Ms. Olsen spent the first half of her trip in Tokyo attending lectures about the Japanese government, economy and education system.

A large part of the lectures were focused on educational issues from peace education to Japanese art education and a variety of other issues concerning the Japanese education system, she said.

A university student volunteered to be the group's unofficial tour guide, escorting them through the cities cultural and historic sites.

"Throughout the trip the pace was fast and there didn't seem to be enough time to squeeze in all there was to do," she said.

After days in the big city of Tokyo, Ms. Olsen hopped on the bullet train to head to Gujo City. Ms. Olsen described Gujo City as a small community on the west side of Japan nestled in the mountains with green countryside and a beautiful river running through it. There, participants met with the university president, professors and students while visiting local schools. The culminating event was a home-stay opportunity with a Japanese family.

"Living with the Nishimura family for several days gave me the opportunity to truly be immersed in the Japanese culture," Ms. Olsen said. "This was a real high point of the trip."

Ms. Olsen's students were able to communicate with their teacher throughout the trip through an interactive Web blog.

"My students were able to read about my amazing adventures, see pictures and post questions or comments," Ms. Olsen said. "It was a great way for them to 'experience' Japan with me."

The student's experience "in Japan" did not end with Ms. Olsen's return.

Activities like creating Japanese art, learning to write and speak a bit of Japanese, sending pen pal letters to Tokyo, and tasting some Japanese foods are only some of the classes favorite projects, Ms. Olsen said.

Prior to their teacher leaving for Japan, the class learned about Sadoko, a young Japanese girl suffering from cancer, whose belief that making 1,000 paper cranes would grant her wish for a return to health. Her school friends completed the folding after her death and the paper folding has evolved into a symbol of a wish for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons. After learning about Sadoko, the fourth-graders set a goal of making 1,000 paper cranes to send to the Peace Park in Hiroshima, Japan. Partnered with teachers, students and families the class exceeded their 1,000 crane goal.

"The 'Cranes for Peace' project has been a wonderful community experience," Ms. Olsen said. "The gift of a thousand paper cranes is a powerful gesture of caring, devotion and love."

The class has learned the importance of appreciating cultures other than their own.

A majority of the students said the most interesting thing they learned was that in the Japanese education system, high school is not compulsory. Students are required to attend first through ninth grade and must apply and take tests to get into high school.

"It is my hope that as I continue to share my experiences in Japan with my students, colleagues and community, the bridge between Japan and the United States will become stronger," Ms. Olsen said.