Japan America Society of Colorado
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Japan in the Schools

About Japan in the schools (jis)

JASC is excited to bring Japan to your classroom through its FREE Japan in the Schools (JIS) program. This one-hour presentation includes fun activities that allow students to interact with Japanese traditions, cultural artifacts, and common Japanese phrases! This free program helps JASC fulfill its mission to expand people-to-people relationships between Japan and Colorado through an experiential educational opportunity for Colorado students from K-12.

In-person: Available to Denver Metro, Boulder, and Aurora classrooms. Farther locations in Colorado may be accommodated on a case by case basis. Contact us and see if we can make it to you!

Online: Available to all classrooms in the State of Colorado.

Through a variety of topics, teachers can choose to take their K-12 grade students from our Colorado mountains to the land of the rising sun. Teachers can work closely with our JIS Program Manager, Junko-Sensei to select topics that are most engaging to their students. We also invite universities to submit requests and will evaluate our capacity to fulfill those on a case-by-case basis.

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details

Japan in the Schools uses an original curriculum created by our JIS Program Manager, Junko-Sensei, that can be tailored for any grade from K-12. Using photographs, visual aids, activities, and items from Japan, presentations can introduce students to the history of Japan, fun facts, a typical school day of a Japanese elementary student, arts, culture, and more! Following the presentation, students will have the chance to tackle a hands-on Japanese craft or explore several cultural items which we bring as part of our “cultural suitcase”. The presentation is given in English, but Japanese words and phrases are incorporated throughout.

Topics previously covered include (all lessons are approx. 1 hr and customizable):

  • Journey through Japan

  • Art & Culture of Origami

  • Traditional Japanese Storytelling (Kamishibai)

  • Anime in Japan

  • Why Study Japanese?

  • Japanese Poetry (Haiku)

  • The Japanese Aesthetic (Wabi-sabi)

10 minutes of advance classroom set-up time is appreciated. We ask that the teacher remain in the classroom throughout the entire presentation, and assist in monitoring student behavior during the presentation.  

All presentations use PowerPoint. We kindly request that your school provide a projector, screen, and laptop connection for the lesson. If the technology is not available, please let us know and we will accommodate this preference in advance. 

How to request “Japan in the Schools” for your classroom

Presentations are available Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

  • CLICK HERE to request a Japan in the Schools program for your classroom.

  • Please submit your request 3-4 weeks in advance to secure your spot*!

    *The Program Coordinator travels various distances to give Japan in the Schools presentations. Extreme weather, school closures or altered schedules may result in cancellation. We will do our best to reschedule your classroom if possible.

  • Contact our office with inquiries about the program**, discuss your classroom needs, and request your copy of the Teacher’s Guide, which describes and supplements this program in detail. 

    **Colleges/ Universities and other educational organizations who wish to have Japan in the Schools program visit their classrooms should contact JASC and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure that we can meet your needs.

FIELD TRIPS

In addition to in-school presentations, Japan in the Schools has teamed up with Sakura Square to offer field trips to the Square. A JASC staff member will meet your class at Sakura Square for a 45-minute field trip which includes the Denver Buddhist Temple, Pacific Mercantile and other areas of the Square. The program also includes a history of the Japanese-American community in Colorado.


testimonials

We are pleased and humbled by the positive responses from teachers: 

Junko created a very lively and positive outlook about the Japanese culture to our students. It was wonderful to experience this cultural exchange to align your program with our Literacy Unit. Thank you!

It was just a wonderful experience and Junko was fabulous, she covered so many amazing things, and my kids loved it. I’m so happy that this happened.

This was such a great addition to our unit study of Japan. The kids were so excited to see their learning in action. Junko was absolutely AMAZING with the kids. This will be a partnership we will continue every year!!!

This was a great program for 1st graders. The presenter showed the information in a kid friendly way. The kids were engaged and learned a lot. Thank you!