Mercy College Gets Competitive Grant That Benefits Rivertowns Schools

Mercy College has been awarded a highly-competitive and selective grant from the United States-Japan Foundation for the new project, Teach Japan. The grant, which was secured by Dr. Sheila Gersh, Director, Center for Global Engagement at Mercy College, will directly benefit Rivertowns schools by bringing global programs to local communities.

Teach Japan will connect participants in the Mercy College School of Education and teachers in area school districts, including Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, New Rochelle and Yonkers.  The project team will present seminars at the College on the history, life, education and culture of Japan. Together, participants will develop innovative instructional materials and global studies curricula.  The project will augment social studies teachers’ knowledge of Japan and help make Japan studies a focal point of global studies curricula in the districts’ middle schools.

“Mercy College’s Teach Japan grant will help teachers improve their teaching about Japan and, in turn, continue to build our partnerships with schools in the community,” said Dr. Gersh. “I look forward to working with Mercy colleagues and students on this important project.”

Teach Japan will be directed by Dr. Gersh working with Mercy College faculty Dr. Eric Martone, Assistant Professor, School of Education, and Michiko Kurada, Adjunct Professor, International Relations and Diplomacy.

Mercy College's Center for Global Engagement serves to provide transformative and dynamic global learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.  Looking beyond the classroom, the College offers experiential learning and community-based work that is international in character and takes place both near our local New York area communities, and as far as Africa, Asia, or Europe.

For more information about Mercy’s Center for Global Engagement, visit https://www.mercy.edu/academics/center-for-global-engagement/.