South Wolds Community School Building a Japanese connection
Why Get Set?
South Wolds wanted to share ways in which the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the presence of Japanese athletes at Loughborough University had inspired their students. In return they saw the value of the Get Set network as a means of finding out about exciting projects other schools were working on and sharing ideas with them.
Students had already been designing the Musubi Project, working collaboratively with staff at Loughborough University to promote Japanese language, sport and culture. Musubi is a type of knot and symbolises the spirit of cooperation and working together.
The Journey So Far
A series of Musubi language, sport and culture days are underway. Held at Loughborough University, a core group of South Wolds students plans and hosts all the events. Musubi has its very own website set up by students:
http://www.japanese-at-southwolds.org.uk
Students leading the project have already presented their work at a head teachers’ conference and were also invited to present a workshop on Japanese culture and customs at a conference to promote UK – Japan business opportunities.
Olympic badminton player Anthony Clark joined up with students in a training session. Students had the chance to show off suitably impressive umpiring skills in Japanese!
A group of South Wolds students even visited the Ajinomoto Olympic training Centre in Tokyo in what will become an annual event. They got to see amazing facilities and learnt about programmes for high school students and university athletes.
Positive Values
Commitment to the Values already appears to have focused students on what is happening with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and raised levels of enthusiasm. Having the Games on their home territory is extremely exciting for students, and now that Team GB will be training in nearby Loughborough students are even more engaged. It is truly an event happening in their local community.
Experiencing the Olympic and Paralympic Games from the perspectives of both British and Japanese athletes will be a means of helping students understand the essentially friendly competitive nature of the Games. South Wolds will promote their approach to the Games and the Values as a model for future interactions with people from other countries and cultures.
And the highlights for students?
- “It makes you want to represent your country and makes you feel proud of your country.”
- “Watching people that are the best at what they do inspires us to want to achieve great things too.”
Towards 2012
It is important for South Wolds that students will have the opportunity to meet with some of the athletes and feel inspired and determined to work towards goals of their own. Events will be held to welcome Japanese athletes.
Musubi will culminate in a grand Musubi day in summer 2012 when all students will be present for a sports, language and cultural extravaganza.
South Wolds aims for their students to continue taking every opportunity to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for both Japan and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
