Streamwood school gets $17,000 grant

Just weeks after a November audit proclaimed Elgin Area School District U-46's academy programs underfunded, Streamwood's Academy of World Languages and Literature is cashing in, thanks to the generosity of a Japanese business.

Today, a representative from Kyoto-based electronics company Omron Corp. will present the academy with a $17,000 check, to help the specialized school-within-a-school offset classroom material and summer trip costs.

Debby Fralick, division chairman, said she and Ryoto Manabe, the academy's Japanese teacher, attended a grant ceremony with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Chicago this summer.

"The president of Omron, (Hisao Sakuta) was also there, and he and Ms. Manabe got to talking," Fralick said.

The academy program piqued his interest, and Sakuta told Manabe that he wanted to visit the academy.

"A few weeks later, he came to visit at Streamwood," Manabe said.

"Some of our students had been to Japan and told them about their trips, and told them what they were studying here. He was impressed and told us he'd like to support us."

Last month, auditor Lorraine Plum commended U-46 for maintaining the academies in the face of drastic budget cuts, but noted the district should now look to rejuvenate the program, since U-46 now is on firmer financial footing.

The district plans to re-analyze individual academy programs' funding and will develop a multiyear budget in the coming months.

About 100 of Streamwood's academy students choose to learn Japanese. Additionally, the academy teaches international business classes, international world history and Asian literature.

Omron is known for medical equipment like electronic hermometers and nebulizers. The company developed the first electronic ticket examination machine in Japan, and was one of the first manufacturers of cash-dispensing ATMs with magnetic stripe card readers.

Optimally, Manabe said, she'd like to use the new funds to purchase more visual materials, like instructional DVDs from Japan, and to bring down costs of the academy's annual three-week summer trip to Japan.

"We like as many students as possible to be able to go, but costing around $3,000, we hope the costs can be lowered," Manabe said.