Naval Air Facility Atsugi, southwest of Tokyo, is home to U.S. Navy Fleet Air Western Pacific and is shared with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan — An elementary school on this U.S. base near Tokyo has revived a program paused during the COVID-19 pandemic that turns service members into classroom volunteers for two hours a month.
Heroes in the Hallways allows troops to assist teachers at Shirley Lanham Elementary School for an hour at a time, said program coordinator Michelle Bodwin, a second-grade teacher who provided details by email Dec. 29.
“They may be asked to read to small groups of students, prepare classroom materials or assist with various learning activities,” she wrote. “Having a few extra hands in an elementary classroom is always a great help.”
The program is designed to strengthen community relationships and create volunteer opportunities at NAF Atsugi, about 32 miles southwest of Tokyo. It was scheduled to resume Jan. 9 and will take place on the second and fourth Fridays of each month, the school announced Monday on its Facebook page.
A committee of educators known as the Crusader CARE Crew pairs volunteers with Lanham teachers. CARE stands for Community, Action, Relationships and Engagement, Bodwin said by email Tuesday.
Nathan Rogers, who served as Lantham’s principal until his death in March 2023, coordinated a similar program for several years before the pandemic, Bodwin said.
Second-grade teacher Nathan Rogers poses in his classroom at Shirley Lanham Elementary at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
“Now that the circumstances have changed, we are ready to reopen our hallways and welcome all active duty servicemembers to Lanham,” she wrote.
Bodwin said Heroes in the Hallways benefits all participating service members, including those without children.
“First and foremost, the base community, especially our single service members and those without children, is made more aware of the presence of children on our base,” she said.
The troops may also inspire and mentor the students, Bodwin said.
“It’s a chance for the students to interact with our service members, learn more about them, and understand the vital role they play in our community,” she said.
Bodwin said she was not aware of other schools in the region with similar programs but said plans are underway to share the initiative more broadly.
“It would be amazing to have this program adopted by the Pacific East District so that all schools have a Heroes in the Hallways program to effectively bring the base and school communities together,” she said.
Bodwin and the CARE crew said they hope to see increased participation.
“We need everyone looking out for and supporting the young ones,” she said.
