International School of Portland Announces Grant from the United States-Japan Foundation
International School of Portland Announces Grant from the United States-Japan Foundation
January 25, 2022 (PORTLAND, Ore.) – The International School of Portland has received a $75,000 grant from the United States-Japan Foundation to support its Japanese language program, including funding for its Preschool Sing-and-Play activities that encourage families to explore Japanese language and culture and increase interest in the Japanese elementary program. The grant also supports online experiences for fifth-grade Japanese immersion students, as a pandemic adaptation to the usual Capstone trip to Japan.
This support further enhances the International School of Portland’s unique Japanese language program. It is the only school in the United States to offer full Japanese language immersion, and to combine Japanese immersion with the renowned International Baccalaureate approach.
“The United States-Japan Foundation is dedicated to the mutual interests of the American and Japanese people, and we’re honored to have their support,” said Bodo Heiliger, Head of School at the International School of Portland. “We have a shared vision of building a better world with the next generation of global citizens through a greater understanding of Japanese culture.”
Additionally, the grant will provide financial support for Japanese immersion teachers throughout the United States to attend an immersion conference at the International School of Portland’s Deloris A. Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching. The first of its kind in the nation, the center fills a significant gap in high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers working in language and inquiry-based teaching. International School of Portland of Portland recently received a grant of $246,000 from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to fund a new position, Head of Professional Learning, to lead the center’s programming and growth.
Since 1990, the International School of Portland has offered full language and cultural immersion in a warm, loving environment that encourages curiosity and kindness. One of only two schools in the United States to provide three full language immersion programs under one roof, the International School of Portland is also home to the longest-running Chinese immersion program in the Pacific Northwest. It is also the only program in the country to offer full Japanese language immersion. It was the first school in the Pacific Northwest to adopt the renowned International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.
International School of Portland of Portland’s world-renowned professional faculty and staff—hailing from more than 17 countries—lovingly engage the school’s nearly 400 students in academics, PE and the arts. With its multilingual and cultural environment, the International School of Portland’s campus is a global microcosm, helping shape children who are open-minded, confident, empathetic, and inclusive—traits that encourage them to take responsible action within and beyond our school community. intlschool.org