A group of junior high and high school students from Japan are getting the chance to study Carbondale’s culture and educational systems first hand.

In a program which began Oct. 2, 14 Japanese students are attending Thomas Elementary School and Carbondale East High School through a trip sponsored by Nakajo, Japan, where a branch campus of SIU, named Niigata, is located.

Kathy Bury-Swindell, Associate Director of the Niigata Coordinating Office, said the branch campus in Nakajo, Japan, has a sister-city type relationship with Carbondale.

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We do community exchanges, Swindell said. The two cities really complement each other, so we can coordinate activities.

Students were selected to make the trip to Carbondale based on essays which had to be written in English, she said.

The purpose of this type of program is to build better relations between cultures and give educational opportunities, Swindell said. Students can attend American schools and stay with host families in Carbondale.

Swindell, whose position is within the International and Economic Development Office, said two Japanese junior high teachers and a principal will also be going to the schools in order to help out in the classrooms and observe the students.

The students, who will stay in Carbondale until Oct. 5, arrived in Chicago Sept. 29, and met Tammy Morris, a representative from the International and Economic Development Office.

The group spent two and a half days sight-seeing in Chicago, visiting Chicago attractions such as Planet Hollywood and the Sears Tower, before making the journey to Carbondale.

Joyce Fisher and Anita Braun, who teach freshman English at Carbondale East High School, said they have seven Japanese students between the two classes.

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We don’t adjust our lesson plans when the students visit because they are wanting to watch the American educational systems, Fisher said. Right now, we are studying types of non-fiction.

But I think their learning environment is much more structured. I had to pass back papers today, and I noticed the Japanese students were a bit wide-eyed because of the chaos.

Fisher said one of the students carried a large English/Japanese dictionary and would refer to it often.

Probably the biggest obstacle these students face would be the language barrier, Braun said. For them, to speak English is much more difficult than reading it.

The program, which is in its sixth consecutive year, will also contain a trip to Flamm’s Orchard in Cobden, a trip to Bald Knob Cross in Alto Pass and a visit to Giant City Lodge.