This week at MFWI

This week is travel week for the students. The Junior College and Education students are leaving for their East Coast Educational tour.

Also, the Extension students are on their way to the Southwest. They are so excited.
Click HERE to visit Susan's Library Southwest page with some cool links of places students will visit on that trip.

Click HERE to view of video of the East Coast trip. Here are some of the link to places they will visit on the East Coast.

East Coast Trip
Weather information

• Boston (Japanese or English)
• Washington, D.C. (Japanese or English)
• New York (Japanese or English)

Hotel Information

• Marriott Quincy in Boston
• Hilton Washington DC./Silver Spring
• Crown Plaza Secaucus in New Jersey (Education students)

Home pages of places students visit.

• Arlington National Cemetery
• Lincoln Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial
• Harvard Virtual Tour
• Plymouth, Massachusetts
• Minute Men home page
• The First Thanksgiving
• The White House
• The National Japanese American Memorial

Quicktime videos

• John Adams
• The Capital Building
• Thomas Jefferson
• Washington Monument
• George Washington

Click here to visit Susan's Library East Coast home page.

Welcome from Ron

Hi! Welcome to Ron’s I Love MFWI blog.

I'm one of more than 20 teachers at MFWI. I love my job. Our students are eager to learn, the teaching facilities are excellent, the campus environment is a comfortable and a safe place to work and study, and finally, Spokane is a pleasant city in which to study and live.

If you are you looking for an exciting study abroad program with professional teachers in a beautiful and safe environment in the USA, then Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI) is the place for you.

This English blog has a lot of interesting information about MFWI, including information about our professional teachers, eager resident assistants (RAs), the small and active classes, interesting activities, fabulous trips and the beautiful city of Spokane, Washington.

Also, there is a “This week at MFWI” page which highlights the main events happening for our students.

Click on a topic to the right to get started.

MFWI history

In 1895, residents of the Spokane area purchased the area known as Twickenhan Park and deeded it to the government for the construction of a military post. Congress authorized the purchase of the land in 1896, construction of the post began in 1897, and it officially opened in 1899. Most of the buildings were built between 1897 and 1906. Fort George Wright was used for military purposes until 1957, when the government declared it surplus and gave educational facilities priority to purchase the property. Some of the land was used for Spokane Falls Community College in 1960, and the Sisters of the Holy Names purchased 76 acres for the relocation of Holy Names College, a four-year liberal arts college for women. The school was renamed Fort Wright College in 1963 and operated until 1982. During that time, the Commons dining hall was constructed (1963), followed by Regents dormitory in 1968 (renamed Covington in 1994). In 1968, St. Michael’s Mission, a building dating from 1882 and originally located near Bigelow Gulch Road, was moved to the Fort Wright Campus. The campus was listed as the Fort George Wright Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places in May 1976.

After the closure of Fort Wright College, the buildings were leased to various groups by Holy Names Center. The site was purchased in 1990 by Mukogawa Women’s University for the establishment of Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI), an intensive program for English language and American Culture. MFWI was granted a total agency exemption from the Washington Degree Authorization Act by the Higher Education Coordinating Board in March 1990, and in September 1994 the Board granted MFWI a Certificate of Approval as a branch campus of Mukogawa Women’s University.

In the years between 1990 and 2005, the existing buildings have been restored and renovated, the grounds have been meticulously groomed, 192 trees have been planted (21 of them donated by successive classes of students), and a Library has been constructed. The campus is a site of learning and cultural exchange, as well as a popular venue for meetings, weddings, and other functions for the community of Spokane.

Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants (RAs) attend local colleges full-time while living with groups of eight to 12 MFWI students. They serve as role models, mentors, and informal counselors. Responsible for leading tutorials four nights a week, RAs also plan activities and develop strong friendships with their students. Through interaction with the RAs, students have the opportunity to learn about the lives and thoughts of young American women. In turn, RAs experience Japanese culture and develop valuable intercultural communication skills.

More than 200 RAs have worked at MFWI since 1990. Each session, approximately 20 to 24 RAs are employed. Their majors have varied from journalism to pre-med. However, a majority of RAs major in areas related to education, languages, or international studies. Many RAs subsequently pursue teaching or internationally oriented careers. Some former RAs currently teach in Japan at Mukogawa Senior High School, in private language schools, or through the Japan Exchange Teaching Program. Still others work abroad in the Peace Corps and other service organizations.

Homestay

Since the fall of 1990, Spokane-area families have opened their homes to 6,935 MFWI students. For many students, Homestay Weekend serves as the high point of their stay in the United States. Host families give the students an opportunity to experience American family life firsthand and to establish lasting relationships. Students, meanwhile, eagerly share Japanese culture with their host families.

The Homestay Program is so successful that many families have hosted repeatedly, some as many as 27 times. There are still families who have been active since that very first session. Host families serve as vital links between American and Japanese culture. They are informal cultural ambassadors. Thanks to their commitment and generosity, MFWI students and the Spokane community have been immeasurably enriched.

About Spokane

(Photo by Mark Wagner)

Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI) is located in Spokane, Washington, a metropolitan area of more than 400,000 people. As the cultural and commercial center of Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana, Spokane was named an All-America City in 2004. Spokane County has 14 public school districts, five colleges and universities, and numerous community and technical colleges. In addition to the schools, major employers include Fairchild Air Force Base, several medical centers, and a variety of governmental agencies. With 76 lakes, 13 ski areas, 32 golf courses, and more than 60 parks, the area is known for its abundance of scenic attractions and outdoor activities. Spokane has been Nishinomiya’s sister city since 1961.

About MFWI

MFWI is the international branch campus of Mukogawa Women's University (MWU). The students in the English and English Communications Departments of MWU spend 15 weeks at MFWI studying English skills and American culture and society.

This blog has information about MFWI, its teachers, classes, activities, and trips and about the beautiful city of Spokane, Washington. Click on a label to the right for more information

While Mukogawa students are in America, they enjoy a variety of off campus activities such as a visit to the Spokane County Fair, homestay weekend, visits to local museums, schools, and churches as well as a 3-day trip to Seattle and a 6-day trip to the East Coast to see and experience interesting historical and educational sites in and near Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago.

Every August, students from any MWU department can participate in a one month summer program. The students take similar classes to the Fall and Spring terms, but the Summer program includes an exciting 3-day trip to Glacier Park in the state of Montana and an enjoyable overnight camping trip in the state of Idaho.

Mukogawa Women's University Education majors also study intensive English at MFWI each fall. In addition, English majors from the English Department of Mukogawa Women's University return in September to MFWI for a second semester to take advanced English courses in the MFWI Extension program.

Thank you for your interest in our branch campus and we hope to see you in Spokane soon!