UNITED STATES - JAPAN PARTNERSHIP

Southeast Nebraska Consolidated School
and
Komatsu City Awazu Elementary School

Introduction

This project is funded by the Fulbright Memorial Fund Master Teacher Program which promotes cultural exchanges among different countries all over the world. Southeast teachers Vicki Beilke, Nancy McKibbin, and Superintendent Dennis Wittmann formed the team from Southeast Consolidated. Tetsu Nakamura, Noriko Ota, and Yasuhiko Nakade made up the team from Awazu. Nancy McKibbin spent three weeks in the fall of 1999 in Japan touring different parts of the country and their schools. The project then involved Vicki Beilke spending six weeks of time in the summer of 2000 working in the Komatsu City schools. Teams from the Japanese schools visited the U.S. in March and September of 2000. Joint projects were agreed upon in the field of environmental studies. The projects will include studies of water and soil quality and the collection and identification of insects natural to the location of the schools. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes from the respective schools will share the results of their findings on their web-pages. The schools have also agreed to exchange cultural information throughout the year to promote continued friendship between the two schools.

Throughout the years 2001-02-03, the schools have continued to exchange cultural information and touch base through video conferences. Elementary students participate in these activities.

Elementary students in Awazu




Noriko Ota and Tetsu Nakamura, our Japanese teacher contacts.

TIME IN JAPAN

McKibbin - Three weeks in October 1999 touring the entire country.
Beilke - Summer Schedule June 16 - July 29, 2000