Program Objectives & Program Plan

Objectives

• Increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States of America.
  
  
• Enrich first through twelfth grade curricula by presenting teachers with the opportunity to integrate international perspectives and methodologies and relate actual experiences from the JFMF Teacher Program.
  
  
• Encourage more Americans to appreciate the people, culture and educational system of Japan.
  
  
• Expand professional development opportunities for American primary and secondary educators.

Program Plan

Applicants selected to participate in the 2008 JFMF Teacher Program will receive a fully-funded three week experience in Japan. At seminars in Tokyo, participants are introduced to the Japanese culture and education system and meet with Japanese government officials and educators. Participants also visit urban schools, museums, and historic landmarks. They are then assigned to small groups that spend the next several days visiting a particular Japanese city. The participants visit local schools and teachers' colleges, where they interact with Japanese teachers, students, and parents. For many, the highlight of the study visit is a short homestay with a Japanese family. The program concludes with debriefing sessions in Tokyo where all participants share their experiences and insights. Throughout the study visit, participants are encouraged to discuss their "follow-on plans" and to develop strategies for sharing their experiences with their schools and communities in the U.S.