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Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD

The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) will provide up to 48 U.S. teachers and administrators with the opportunity to travel to Japan on this fully-funded program to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries. ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Up to 48 teachers from Japan will travel to the U.S. in late April, and up to 48 teachers from the U.S. will travel to Japan in June. At the end of the program in each country, all 96 teachers will gather for a few days of joint collaboration. For more details and dates, please visit the Program Description and Dates page of this website.

Participants will be required to demonstrate development of ESD curriculum as a result of the program. A report on this development and its implementation, including documentation, must be submitted within four months of travel to Japan.

The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD is administered by Fulbright Japan and jointly funded by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Objectives

The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD is designed to raise awareness of ESD-oriented school programs, enhance ESD-related curricula in both countries, and deepen a sense of global interconnectedness between teachers in Japan and the United States in four vital areas of ESD focus: food and sustainable nutrition; environment; energy and resources; and international understanding and cooperation.

The primary objectives are:

To increase understanding between the peoples of Japan and the United States and to foster mutual exchange between teachers in Japan and the United States.
To enrich first through twelfth grade curricula by presenting teachers with the opportunity to integrate international perspectives and methodologies, specifically in the area of ESD, in classrooms and communities.
To enhance ESD curricula in both Japan and the United States.
To expand professional development opportunities for U.S. and Japanese primary and secondary educators.

About ESD

In 2002, the United Nations adopted resolution 57/254 declaring 2005 – 2014 the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). According to UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is defined as “learning to: respect, value and preserve the achievements of the past; appreciate the wonders and the peoples of the Earth; live in a world where all people have sufficient food for a healthy and productive life; assess, care for and restore the state of our Planet; create and enjoy a better, safer, more just world; [and] be caring citizens who exercise their rights and responsibilities locally, nationally and globally.”

The overall goal of the DESD is to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. This educational effort will encourage changes in behavior that will create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations. (Source: UNESCO Website)