Celebrating The Youth of a Nation… Well Two Nations

THE MONTH OF MAY IS ASIA-PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, AND IN JAPAN MAY 5TH IS CHILDREN'S DAY. STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND VOLUNTEERS AT EJ KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMEMORATED THESE HOLIDAYS BY WELCOMING LOCAL JAPANESE CHILDREN FOR CULTURE DAY. I think it's really great to have opportunities like this because it brings the community together. So this is not just a Sasebo base event. It had to take the participation of the Japanese community as well. So we're really appreciative of that. VOLUNTEERS TAUGHT STUDENTS ABOUT THE CULTURE OF JAPAN AND OTHER NATIONS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION THROUGH VARIOUS EVENTS, SUCH AS CALLIGRAPHY, ORIGAMI, AND TOP SPINNING, As educators, we want to expose them to different types of cultures, different backgrounds of people because they're going to have to work with people, they're going to have to live with them, and interact with them in the future. And what better opportunity to do that than in an educational setting and in a fun way? So when they do get to the point when they're adults and have to deal with it, they've already had that exposure. THANKS TO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN EJ KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE JAPANESE COMMUNITY, THE AMERICAN AND JAPANESE YOUTH OF SASEBO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A TRULY INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENCE. PETTY OFFICER GABRIEL KOTICO, FLEET ACTIVITIES SASEBO, JAPAN.