School Board Hears About Expanding International Initiatives

By Eliza Hallabeck

Newtown High School Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo and several other people who have worked with or who have become part of the Newtown International Center of Education (NICE) effort spoke before the Board of Education during its meeting on Tuesday, March 20.

For more than two hours, the school board members learned about the NICE program’s growth since its inception four years ago, the components of the effort, challenges it faces, and recommendations for the board.

Mr Hiruo thanked the board before the presentation for allowing him to present the NICE program in its entirety.

The NICE program, Mr Hiruo said, is no longer just a China initiative. The program has grown to include efforts to connect with schools in Japan, Italy, Spain, and most recently France.

“There are some pieces here that really allow us to expand beyond the sister schools and allow a cultural experience for our students,” said Mr Hiruo.

As one example of this that Mr Hiruo shared was Wesleyan University students recently visited Newtown to offer Japanese workshops in origami, calligraphy, and sushi making.

“Japan will surpass the China project in popularity at a quicker pace, and I think it is because the Japanese pop culture is a real interest to teenagers in the US,” said Mr Hiruo.

This week the Japanese Film Festival, started by NHS student Eric Song, continued its monthly showings of Japanese films with a showing of My Neighbor Totoro, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, on Thursday, March 22, in the NHS Lecture Hall starting at 6 pm.

The student ambassador program within NICE, led by NHS teacher Amanda Friedman, works to build opportunities for students to learn and connect with other students who have participated in the NICE program, Mr Hiruo said. Mr Hiruo also listed a number of clubs and organizations at NHS that work with the NICE program, like the Model United Nations Club.

Mr Hiruo attributed the NICE program’s growth to the people who have supported the effort and those who have become part of it.

Organizations have also supported the program along the way, like the Hanban-Confucius Classroom Network, which has provided funding through grants over the time span of NICE’s growth.

The Hanban-Confucius Classroom Network has also recognized Newtown as one of the top 100 programs in the United States, according to Mr Hiruo.

“Japan Society is a new friend,” Mr Hiruo said, “within the past two years.”

The field trips, cultural workshops, and more provided for students through the NICE program, Mr Hiruo said, offer great cultural opportunities for all ages.

“We’re working to inform,” he said, “we’re working to educate, and it’s fun. It’s NICE.”

Professional development opportunities have also been provided through NICE for Newtown educators and educators that travel to the district.

This year for the first time, he said, a teacher will travel abroad to teach in Liaocheng, in the Shandong Province of China, location of multiple Newtown sister schools.

“We want to help people understand the benefits of our program,” said Mr Hiruo.

To that extent, he said there are different plans in place, like a redesign of the NICE website and establishing NICE building coordinators for each school in the district.

One challenge, Mr Hiruo said, that has faced the program is money. He explained no district money has been used toward travel expenses. For students the cost to travel is roughly $2,700, and teachers have paid for their own travel expenses, roughly $2,200.

“And they go there representing the district, and teach,” said Mr Hiruo, about the teachers, “which is incredible.”

One generous resident, Mr Hiruo said, gave the program $6,000 a year to go toward helping student travel expenses, and one goal for the program is to raise more money to help cover travel expenses.

Mr Hiruo also answered questions during the meeting that have frequently been raised over the years about the NICE program. He said the work he puts toward the NICE program is completed when possible, sometimes late at night, other times on weekends. He also said other teachers who have become involved with the program do the same. He also listed his responsibilities as an assistant principal at the high school.

Mr Hiruo finished his presentation with recommendations for the school board.

“My recommendation for the school board is to utilize this information I have given you tonight,” he said, “including the supplemental information, to help us inform the public about what we do, about who we are, about our success, and our challenges. This is a collective experience. It’s a collective partnership with everybody.”

The goal, he said, is to build cultural experiences for students and to create global citizens.

Students also spoke about their experiences with the NICE program during Mr Hiruo’s presentation, and during public participation multiple people spoke about the program’s value, including members of the NICE Parent and Community Organization.

Video highlights of the presentation are available with this story at www.newtownbee.com along with a full audio recording of the meeting.