Japanese Paper Crafts Workshop

Melody Poland (Japanese 2011), a 2017 ADF recipient, launched a series of workshops on traditional Japanese paper crafts. The workshops were designed to teach Japanese culture and language to attendees. In addition to Melody, three native Japanese speakers facilitated the workshops: an artist, an art assistant, and an assistant at Atkinson elementary school. They provided workshops for children with special needs and the elderly including ten special needs studnets at Atkinson elementary school and two groups of adults who were interested in Japanese language and culture. Pictures and a brief summary from the adult workshops were shared with the participant groups on Meetup and Facebook, which have about 57 and 763 other members, respectively. The workshops were well-attended and received positive feedback in the survey. The students at Atkinson Elementary were presented with familiar items from Japan to help make the connection to their daily life. Adults studying Japanese were able to converse with Japanese workshop participants and learn new vocabulary and cultural elements. Adults interested in art were exposed to a new culture and language altogether.