South’s Japanese program received a $3,000 grant from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago (JCCC) to support cultural and exchange initiatives for this 2025-2026 school year, Principal Dr. Barbara Georges said.
The JCCC awards the grants annually based on specific criteria, Kathy O’Brien, Administrative Assistant for World Languages, said. This year, South received $2,000 less than the $5,000 from last years’ grant, but the program continues to make the most of the funds, O’Brien said.
“The [JCCC] grant varies because it depends on how many people apply [for it],” O’Brien said. “This year, we did not get as much as we have gotten in the past, but we [talked] about the best way to utilize [the grant].”
Out of the 90 organizations that applied, only 23 received the grant, Japanese Teacher Mai Bryans said. Most of the program’s cultural activities are possible because of the grant, including field trips to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL, and Hello Tokyo in Niles, IL, Bryans said.
Participating in grant-funded activities provides students the opportunity to experience Japanese culture beyond the classroom, sophomore Amilya Johnson said.
“[Japanese cultural activities are] fun because we get to see how the Japanese culture would be in festivals,” Johnson said. “It is a way to immerse myself [in Japanese culture].”
The five main projects funded this year are floral arranging, a sushi workshop, a Kanji Competition where students are tested based on their knowledge and writing of Japanese characters, gifts for host families and visiting Japanese teachers, and the Japanese National Honor Society, Bryans said.
“I wanted to create fun events for students to motivate [them],” Bryans said. “The [JCCC grant] helps the students to focus on the curiosities [of] learning, not getting a good grade.”
A central part of South’s Japanese curriculum is the exchange program, and the grant allows Bryans to invite students from Japan to South, Bryans said. It also helps students foster meaningful connections and encourages learning through lasting relationships, Bryans said.
“My students were saying, ‘I made so many connections in Japan, and now I have a place to stay in Japan,’” Bryans said. “[My] students [have] a strong connection with Japanese students, [which] motivates the students [to learn]”
Through this grant, students are able to explore aspects of Japanese culture they might not otherwise encounter, Amanda Moritz, Instructional Supervisor of World Languages and French Teacher, said.
“[The JCCC grant] maintains our Japanese program and help it flourish,” Moritz said. “It aligns with our [department’s] standards about making connections, comparisons, and bringing culture into the classroom: everything that we value as language teachers.”
