Students from the Matthew C. Perry High School and Noda Gakuen High School bond during a mathematics class while a visiting M.C. Perry aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, April 24, 2015. The visit is part of the Noda Gakuen High School’s Global International Course, thats main focus is to give students resources needed to improve language and communication skills, understand their roles in different societies and actively challenge themselves to try new things.

Photo by Cpl. Luis Ramirez

High school students build bonds by learning together

24 Apr 2015 | Cpl. Luis Ramirez Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan --

Students with Noda Gakuen High School, Yamaguchi City, Japan, traveled to the Matthew C. Perry High School aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, April 24, 2015, as part of the schools’ Global International Course.

The GI Course’s main focus is to give students resources needed to improve language and communication skills, understand their roles in different societies, and actively challenge themselves to try new things.

The visit to M.C. Perry High School also presented the students of Noda Gakuen the opportunity to travel to an American school, giving them the chance to experience western culture firsthand.

“This is a great opportunity for my students, to meet American children that are their same age,” said Luaus Bohaty, an English teacher at the Noda Gakuen High School. “It’s a unique experience that I hope my students won’t take for granted, I don’t know who is more excited about visiting the air station’s schools, me or them.”

Upon arrival students met members of the M.C. Perry student body who they would spend the day shadowing, bonding and learning from.

Throughout the visit, students learned from each other during multiple classes as the school day continued, everything from making some of the M.C. Perry students’ favorite snacks to taking part in the schools Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

According to Bohaty, visiting a school that’s on a military instillation adds to the overall impact of the course because it shows the amount of respect the students have towards their host nation.

“This is an event that both schools won’t easily forget,” said Richard Peterson, the student activity coordinator for M.C. Perry High School. “It gives the students that opportunity to experience a different culture and it gives them the chance to build bonds and make friendships that last a lifetime.”

Peterson said that he is very excited to be part of the GI Course and is looking forward to helping his students and Japanese students experience different cultures for years to come.