In front of the KU Affiliated Elementary School; L-R Kanau Ishida (KU student), Bailey Hollingsworth, Mr. Moritoki (principal), Katie Anderson-Pence, Maiya Rosa, Chloe Fesperman, Dominick Pena 
Visit with Chancellor Sobanet; L-R Mana Nabeya (KU), Katie Anderson-Pence, Jennifer Sobanet, Taku Yamamoto (KU), Mioko Webster, Taka Ishida (KU), Kanau Ishida (KU) 
At Asagiri-dai Elementary School; KU and UCCS students 
Aboard the KU bus 
KU Campus 
Kanazawa professor Taku Yamamoto with Chancellor Sobanet 
Walking up the steps to the KU campus
Continuing a rich partnership between institutions, UCCS and Kanazawa University (KU) recently took turns hosting students and faculty at their respective campuses and home cities.
Katie Anderson-Pence, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Education (COE), led students Chloe Fesperman, Bailey Hollingsworth, Dominick Pena and Maiya Rosa on a trip to Japan this month to see the Kanazawa campus, meet university counterparts and explore local sites. Meanwhile, Professor Taku Yamamoto accompanied Kanazawa University students for a visit to UCCS and Colorado Springs in March. This is Kanazawa University’s second trip to UCCS, with Yamamoto first bringing a different group of students to visit in spring of 2023.
The Kanazawa cohort had the opportunity to tour the UCCS campus, meet with Chancellor Sobanet and sit in on Japanese language classes with Teaching Professor Mioko Webster. They also visited local pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 schools, including an elementary and middle school, to learn more about the U.S. school system, followed by debriefing sessions for the students to discuss similarities and differences between Japanese and American school systems.
The group also managed to see local Colorado Springs sites, with visits to Garden of the Gods and The Broadmoor. Though more activities were initially planned for the visitors, such as outings to additional local schools and UCCS education classes, the students instead got to experience being snowed in.
“They said that in Japan, they’re used to natural disasters, so they understand when the weather makes us change our plans and were very gracious about it,” Anderson-Pence said with a laugh.
The UCCS trip to Kanazawa mirrored the visit here, with Anderson-Pence and her students touring Kanazawa University, two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and several local heritage sites.
“We met with their education students, especially those that are studying to teach English, and had the opportunity to interact with both university students and K-12 students,” said Anderson-Pence. “One of the English-language teachers actually wrote the UCCS students into her lesson plan. They were starting to learn English, and had prepared a slideshow of sorts to introduce themselves in English to the UCCS students. Then, they separated into four groups with a UCCS student per group and each group rotated, having one-on-one conversations with our students, introducing themselves, talking about their interests, things like that.”
“That was the highlight of the visit for me – to see them completely immerse themselves and interact and respond to these students and make connections was really special,” she added.
While in Kanazawa, the UCCS cohort also did some sightseeing and visited gardens, a local castle and even went to a nearby fish market.
“The market was a lot fun and had great food, and one of the schools we visited is the newest in the city and was absolutely beautiful,” said Anderson-Pence.
Both trips were made possible by a grant from the Japanese government, with another trip for Kanazawa University faculty and students planned for next March. Anderson-Pence hopes to make UCCS visiting their institution a tradition as well and continue fostering the cultural exchange and value that comes with it.
“Any time that people get out of themselves and their own environment and see other cultures, it expands their own worldview,” said Anderson-Pence. “In the case of our teachers, it makes them better teachers because they’re able to see things from a different perspective, not just one based on their own experience. It’s extremely beneficial, especially when it comes to being inclusive and open and accepting of everyone. When our teachers go into the classroom, they’re going to have students from all cultures, so it’s really important for them to acknowledge that and to think about how they can reach and connect with those students.”
Kanazawa University, located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, was established in 1862 as a small medical school. It eventually grew to merge with five other institutions and has grown significantly since its founding. Learn more about the school’s history online.