From JASWM Chairperson Jan Burland:

Selected from among thousands of competitors, the Battle Creek Japanese School and three of its students received recognition in November at the 2007 International Essay Contest for Young People held in Tokyo.

The Battle Creek Japanese School won the “Best School Award,” as the only school to be recognized with an individual honor. Student winners from the Battle Creek Japanese School:

• 2nd Prize – Youth category: Yukari Nemoto (age 16) "Communicating Peace"
• 3rd Prize - Youth category: Takuto Sato (age 18) "Anyone to Tea?"
• Honorable Mention - Youth category: Shuhei Sato (age 16)

The theme for the 2007 contest, “The role of media and information and communication technologies in building a peaceful world,” brought a total of 4,029 entries from 138 countries, covering seven continents.

Organized by the UNESCO and the Goi Peace Foundation; endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan; and supported by Japan Airlines, the competition represented the seventh year with the United Nations designation of “International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World.”  (For details http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/activities/programs/0702.htm)       

The Battle Creek Japanese School educates approximately 150 Japanese students during temporary stays with their parents in the U.S.A., so they may more easily readjust to the Japanese education system with minimum effort when they return to Japan. Lakeview School District in Battle Creek provides classroom space, Michigan State University supplies teachers, and community businesses and residents lend their support.

Japan-America of West Michigan applauds the recognition of the Battle Creek Japanese School. The students, teachers and school administrators are to be commended. The Battle Creek Saturday School has long been recognized for its contributions to the economic and social fabric of the communities it serves.

The Battle Creek Japanese school is available to Albion residents and businesses alike. For more information, please contact us using our online form.