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Sporting a kimono that she acquired on a recent educational trip to Japan, Renee Streicher, a fourth-grade teacher at St. Mary Immaculate School in Plainfield, talks about how she plans to introduce Japanese culture to her pupils.

In the 1990s, after over a decade in the business sector, Renee Streicher of Plainfield decided to leave corporate America and travel to a place that was foreign to her—the elementary school classroom. Teaching “was just something I wanted to do,” said the 44-year-old educator, referring to the midlife decision that led her in a new direction.

Late last year, the fourth-grade teacher at Plainfield’s St. Mary Immaculate School made another decision that would ultimately take her from her daily routine to an exotic place. She decided to apply for a study visit to Japan.

Streicher was selected from a pool of roughly 2,000 applicants, according to Christopher Powers, a spokesperson for the New York City-headquartered Institute of International Education, which recruits educators interested in participating in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.

The educator plans to use souvenirs and other school resources she obtained during her June 10-28 Japan visit to help teach her students.

Launched in 1997, the program’s main objective is promoting intercultural understanding between the two countries, said Powers. Since its commencement, nearly 6,000 elementary and high school teachers have participated in the program and visited Japan, he said.

The wife and mother of four recently returned after three weeks in Japan. “It was unbelievable,” she told the Catholic Explorer in an interview July 2 at her home in Plainfield. The teacher from Illinois was one of about 200 educators from the United States who participated in the June 10-28 venture abroad.

Interested in the program for several years before she actually applied, Streicher said, “I thought it was a wonderful opportunity. I had never been out of North America.”

Once on Japan’s mainland, the teachers were divided into groups of 20. Their first stopover was in Tokyo. Immersion into the bustle of the Asian metropolis was a breathtaking experience for the teacher from the Midwest, she said. She described the people she encountered as “respectful” and “gracious.”

Streicher said she was also impressed by the striking landscape in the rustic regions of the country as well as Japan’s impressive mountain terrain. When the visiting teachers met with Japanese government officials and business leaders, they learned about the people’s commitment to safeguarding and preserving the ecosystem within their country, she said.

The teachers also visited schools and universities in Japan. Streicher was impressed by the aesthetics of the buildings as well as the hands-on approach to education in the country. The American teacher said she especially enjoyed interacting with the youngsters, who traditionally go to school until the end of July. Elementary students attend classes with short holidays throughout the year and receive a one month vacation in the summer, she explained.

Streicher’s “narrow American view” of the world was expanded as she met with the people of the country. She told the Explorer that Americans should realize people from other parts of the globe can teach them about conservation and education, among countless other things.

The experience has illustrated for her the importance of dialogue and acceptance among people of varying races and nationalities. Streicher was quick to stress she plans to encourage her students as well as her own kids to consider studying abroad. “I think that’s really important,” said the educator and mother. “They’ll become more open-minded. It will enrich their lives.”

Once school is back in session, Streicher plans to stress with the children that the world’s different cultures can benefit each other, she said. “We’re all the same.”

The teacher hopes to broaden the horizons of her pupils by introducing them to Japanese traditions and practices, including paper folding, known as origami and calligraphy.

This yearlong cultural exploration will culminate with a special Japanese festival that Streicher hopes will include parishioners as well as the expanded Plainfield community. She envisions it to feature Japanese cuisine served by the children as well as performances by the youngsters showcasing Japanese traditions.

With armed conflicts and terrorist plots continuing to unfold across the continents, Streicher said she believes the key to peace is understanding and cooperation among different cultural groups. By walking in the footsteps of people from another part of the world, the optimistic teacher said she hopes her students will someday be more inclined to handle problems with diplomacy, rather than combat.