Huntington Teacher
Headed to Japan
Camille Tedeschi is clearly an adventurous sort of person. The Huntington High School social studies teacher regularly jets off to some distant land. Her destination this coming summer will be Japan after being one of just ten New York teachers to be accepted by the Japan Society’s educator program.
The 2010 study tour of Japan will kick-off June 30 and run through July 20. The program accepts applications from middle and high school teachers, librarians and administrators. Participants will engage in an intensive orientation program this spring.
The competitive approval process requires applicants to demonstrate “a firm commitment” to “foster and sustain education about Japan in their school.” Huntington officials had to submit a detailed statement about the district’s plans to utilize the in-depth training on Japanese society that Ms. Tedeschi will receive.
The trip to Japan will be Ms. Tedeschi’s first. “A few years ago I was accepted into a program to study Japanese art at the University of Colorado in Boulder,” she said. “I have an obsession with East Asian culture, practices, artwork, etc. I spent time in Asia, in China and Vietnam, during a study tour in 2005. I applied to the Japan Society because I wanted to travel to Japan and be able to bring my experiences back to my classroom. It is important to understand and appreciate world cultures and there is not better way to attain that appreciation then to spend time immersed in the country.”
“I am very proud of Ms. Tedeschi’s professionalism and strong dedication and commitment to ongoing learning and creative instruction,” said Joseph Leavy, Huntington’s director of humanities. “In addition, being one of only a few selected for this prestigious program, enables Ms. Tedeschi to bring back deep experiential understandings of Japan to her students here in Huntington.”
Trip participants will become acquainted with Japanese society through “a wide range of site visits in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima,” according to the Japan Society. “A home-stay with a family and school visits are significant parts of the program. The tour focuses on K–12 school visits to help participants have a better understanding of Japan’s education system by meeting their counterparts in Japanese schools. In addition, educators have the opportunity to meet an A-bomb survivor in Hiroshima, who will talk about his/her personal experiences.”
The pre-trip 11-session spring orientation program is quite elaborate, consisting of an introductory meeting and dinner, five days of intensive academic training, four days of language training and a final one-day discussion session about travel arrangements. Academic training will include extensive readings on Japanese society and culture. Upon her return, Ms. Tedeschi must submit a written teaching unit based upon her experiences in Japan.
Ms. Tedeschi has traveled extensively over the years, visiting England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and several other countries. “I would love to run a student travel tour to parts of Asia in the future or even host exchange students,” she said. “My goal is to one day be able to have visited all of the countries I teach about. When my program in Japan ends I plan to stay in Japan for an extended period to travel and visit other places not included on my program and possibly venture out into other parts of Asia before I return home.”
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