Japanese Language Program Thriving at Harding

The Japanese language program at Harding High School is thriving, with the help of several grants.

Koharu Shibuya is a licensed Japanese teacher and PhD candidate from Japan who is entering a second year at Harding via the J-LEAP program, fully funded by the Japan Foundation and the Laurasian Institution.

This is a two-year grant which brought Koharu to co-teach with Harding Japanese teacher Shannen Lech, both at Harding and in districtwide online Japanese courses. She also joins Harding colleague Hanna Brandt's Japanese classes regularly to connect and support all  Japanese students.

Koharu's has already made a lasting impression. She has visited English classes to teach haiku and manga, ESL classes teaching origami, history classes about World War II, AVID classes at Battle Creek Middle School to teach origami, as well as Central and Como high schools teaching Japanese calligraphy. Her role is to boost our Japanese language program and to build positive friendships between Japan and the US.

Harding World History and Japanese classes collaborated to fold paper cranes for peace during their World War II unit. This month, Shannen presented the cranes to a school in Nagasaki, Saint Paul's sister city. The cities are also starting a student communication exchange.

Shannen’s trip to Nagasaki was courtesy of the Fund for Teachers grant where she was able to connect with Nagasaki Commercial High School and present them with Harding's cranes. She studied the area, collected resources, and collaborated with the school to create a student communication exchange for friendship and peace. 

Additionally,  Mr. Yuya Murata, Consul and Director of the Japan Information Center from the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, will be visiting Harding the first week of school. SPPS received a $24K grant from the Japan Foundation to add an additional section of districtwide online Japanese 1. Mr. Murata will observe Harding’s Japanese classes and he will present a check during a ceremony..

Photos are from Shannen Lech's trip to Nagasaki.