Kakehashi Project
Author: Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter
Kakehashi Project Eliza McLaughlin - Staff Reporter Welcome Okinawan students: Kakehashi Project comes to Townsend
Nineteen students from Okinawa, Japan are visiting Townsend as part of the Kakehashi Project and Japan’s Friendship Ties Program.
The students, who arrived Thursday, Dec. 15, will spend their time attending basketball games and the school day, touring local homes and visiting Dusty Hahn’s farm. Each activity will give the students a taste of what daily life is like in Townsend, a Townsend Public Schools’ Facebook post said: “This will give them a good sense of how American homes are different and/or similar to Japanese homes”.
The purpose of the exchange program is to bridge cultural differences and form lasting relationships among people of different nations.
Allie Lampman, an English teacher at Broadwater High School, was first connected with the Kakehashi Project in 2021.
“My students participated in a virtual exchange with students from Okinawa,” she told MT 43 News. “This year, travel restrictions have eased, so the Okinawan students are coming to America to visit.”
After visiting Townsend, the Okinawan students will then travel to Seattle to learn about everyday life there. But the connection building won’t stop there. Later in the school year, Lampman and nine Broadwater High students will travel to Japan to participate in the cultural exchange too.
“Participants who travel to Japan are encouraged to share their experiences and discoveries with their networks at home, and contribute to greater appreciation of Japanese culture worldwide,” states the Kakehashi Project’s objectives.
Japan’s Friendship Ties Program has connections in various other countries including Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Article Images
Click on Image Thumbnail(s) to view fullsize image
