Art teacher selected for Fulbright Fund Program

Thanksgiving for art teacher Denise Buckley probably won`t be Thanksgiving at all, considering where she`s soon headed. Why? They don`t celebrate the holiday in Japan. No worries; she`s just fine with it. It`s not everyday you get selected to take an all-expenses-paid trip anywhere, let alone a three-week jaunt to the other side of the globe. Buckley was selected to go to Japan as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher`s Program, which was established by the government of Japan in 1996 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United States` Fulbright Program. The program is designed to, according to its Web site, "increase understanding of Japan among American educators who will help to shape and educate the next generation of leaders in the United States." Only four teachers from each state were selected. Buckley will begin her three-week Japanese stay in Tokyo, attending seminars, meeting with education, government and business experts and visiting Japanese landmarks. She`ll then join a group of 20 twenty U.S. educators and travel to Kiryu City in the Japanese Gunma Prefecture, where she`ll stay with a host family for four days and visit local schools and universities, meeting with Japanese teachers and students. "We have one free day," Buckley said. "It`ll be pretty intense." Be sure to check back in December when she returns from her trip.