Sharon Durtka

January 28, 1937 — February 8, 2025

SHARON RAE LANDERGOTT DURTKA At age 3, Sharon's interest in Japan was piqued by a 1936 book, The Children of the World: Matsu and Taro, who "put their beds in the closet"; many years later she realized her first visit to Japan in 1978 and she found her futon was in the oshiire - "in the closet." She continues to visit Japan - experiencing its people and culture. Sharon serves as Wisconsin Chiba Inc. President. This sister state relationship was established in 1990 to enhance mutual understanding, respect and friendships among their citizens and to promote contact with non-governmental institutions in the fields of economics, education, culture, science and technology through exchanges and ongoing relationships. Wisconsin-Chiba, Inc. Sister State Relationship is the recipient of the Minister of Foreign Affairs' Commendation for the long-standing support for promotion of friendship between the two states and exchanges between Sister States. As a delegation leader and host she authored a "Wisconsin-Chiba Orientation Guide for Cultural Exchange with Japan" to enhance the orientation of delegations. Sharon has participated in several WCI delegations to Japan and hosted the Chiba delegations to Wisconsin. She was a member of the Wisconsin Women of Wings Inaugural Sister State Exchange to Chiba in 1999. Sharon is a charter member and past president of the Rotary eClub of District 5010 International, and current Service Projects Chair, a member for P.E.O. (a philanthropic organization providing educational opportunities for women) and chairs its scholarship committee. She co-founded the Global Ties>US Emerging Leaders program and serves on the JAS-Wisconsin board. Sharon has lived her commitment to international exchange and served as the coordinator of several multicultural and international exchange programs including twenty-five continuous years of school/home stay program exchange with the Monbu-sho Japanese Teachers of English and Young Teachers. She also served as an educational consultant to the Monbu-sho. She was a member of Council on Standards for International Educational Travel Evaluation Committee. She was as the first president of the Cardinal Stritch College Alumni Association. Sharon served on the team for the national arrival orientation for the Japanese Youth for Understanding (YFU) exchange students in the early 1980s convened at Stanford University, preparing them for their year abroad in the United States. She also served on the panel for the Japan-US Senate Youth Exchange - YFU USA Scholarship. Committee. 1980-92. As a YFU representative and manager she supported the students and host families during their year in Wisconsin. She provided orientation and supervision for the Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) Program and the teaching of Japanese language in the Milwaukee Public Schools with the teaching assistants through the Japanese Language Exchange Program (JALEX.). She supported the Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese Language (WIATJ). Sharon was a member of the 1978 a non-funded pilot program - convened a three-week study in Japan developing curriculum for middle and high school teachers for what was to become the Keizai Koho Center Teacher Fellowship Program. Sharon has been a volunteer with the Holiday Folk Fair International (HFF) since 1980. She has developed teacher programs, engaged high school youth as volunteers and designed the Grade 4-8 Cultural Awareness Program Education Day. She assisted with exhibits from the Japan Foundation and Chiba delegation presentations and continues to encourage the presentation of Japanese culture by local Japanese volunteers who bring their expertise and traditions to the HFF, Japan Fest and other community venues to deepen the understanding of Japan and to strengthen the relationship. From 1981-87 she was a co-instructor for the Cardinal Stritch College year-long class "Comparative Culture and Education: The People's Republic of China and Japan." Each class concluded with three weeks of summer study in China and Japan. Sharon is a Cardinal Stritch University graduate, received a master's degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Doctorate from Berne University International Graduate School – St. Kitts-Nevis. Sharon is a recipient of numerous awards and commendations including honorary doctorates for her work and commitment to international education and international relations from Ripon College and from Cardinal Stritch University. Recognitions for her volunteer work she was awarded the WIATJ Community Service Award for Outstanding Support of Language and Culture Programs, the International Institute of Wisconsin's Expressive Cultural Heritage Award, several Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History scholarships, the first National Youth for Historic Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Milwaukee County Historical Society's Merit Award for Contributions in the Development of History Programs and Resources. As a Milwaukee Public School educator, Sharon had the opportunity to teach elementary and middle school and supported teachers as a professional development specialist and served as the Curriculum Specialist - Social Studies. She facilitated the textbook adoptions, coordinated international exchange students, and chaired the American Indian Task Force and Advisory Committee. She also served with the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement Evaluation Teams as External Peer Review Team, Co-Chair for Milwaukee and the DoDD Schools, Germany. She served as a program leader/teacher for the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs – Youth Programs Division, National Security Language Institute, Arabic Language - Cairo, Egypt, and the facilitator of the first Reciprocal Homestay High School Student Exchange, Moscow, USSR. As the Al and Sharon touch lives, the opportunities provide invaluable insights into their own culture and that of others and grow in understanding and respect of their fellow world citizens. But the greatest treasure is that of the gift of family - seven Japanese youth, three Japanese teachers and several others including four Asian Indian, three Jamaicans. Some people have family trees, Sharon and Al have a "Family Forest" with children and grandchildren deeply rooted in their own culture but have deep family ties with their "borrowed and shared" children.

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