Charles County hosts 35-year partner Bunkio University delegation from Tokyo; students to stay with local families

Charles County Public Schools board members on Feb. 24 welcomed visiting students and faculty from Bunkio University in Tokyo and described a 35-year exchange program that brings Japanese pre-service teachers to Charles County classrooms and provides reciprocal opportunities for Charles County students.

Chief of Teaching and Learning Kevin Lowndes and Board Chair Janelle Morley presented highlights from their recent visit to Bunkio University, describing campus visits, classroom lessons, and cultural exchanges. Lowndes said the program gives Japanese teacher candidates practice teaching in U.S. elementary classrooms and allows Charles County students in the teacher academy to later travel to Japan to teach and learn.

Delegation activities and observations Morley and Lowndes reviewed photos and itinerary highlights from the trip, noting visits to Tokyo landmarks, elementary and junior-high classrooms, and demonstrations of classroom technology. Morley described classroom features she observed: bilingual instruction beginning at age six, student responsibilities such as serving school lunches, and technology including classroom robots used for coding and interactive lessons. Lowndes and Morley said the exchange is long-term recruitment for future teachers and that Bunkio paid trip expenses for the board’s visit.

Why it matters: Board members said the exchange strengthens international ties and offers professional development opportunities for both visiting Japanese students and local teacher-cadets. The district will host Bunkio students for classroom teaching this week; some visiting students will be placed with host families in Charles County.

Board reaction and context Board members asked whether practices such as robots for remote participation or bilingual early instruction could offer lessons for Charles County students who cannot physically attend class. Several board members and administrators expressed interest in exploring classroom technology and in the district’s teacher pipeline work, including whether Charles County can adapt aspects of Bunkio’s teacher-preparation model.

Ending: Morley thanked host families and district staff helping the visitors. District leaders said the partnership will continue and that some Charles County teacher-academy students are slated for future study trips to Bunkio University.