Keizai Koho Center (KKC), in cooperation with the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS), will offer the “KKC Study Tour to Japan 2024” for U.S. and Canadian social studies teachers.

Since 1980, more than 700 social studies teachers have taken part in the “KKC Study Tour to Japan”. The project aims to deepen participants’ understanding of Japan and contribute to international mutual understanding across the Pacific. Their experiences and findings in Japan have significant value to their students, who will build future ties with Japan.

Dates in Japan

June 24 (Mon) – July 2 (Tue), 2024  *tentative
(Program date is subject to change by the organizer.)

Primarily in Tokyo,the itinerary will be developed to provide vivid and enjoyable experiences with participants, which include:
* Visits to Japanese schools to interact with students and teachers,
* Meetings with scholars and experts on Japanese society and its education system,
* Visits to major Japanese companies and meetings with senior company executives,
* Cultural and fun events.

Costs covered by KKC

KKC provides round trip air transportation from participants’ home city to Japan, as well as accommodations, ground transportation and meals associated with the program.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:
– Have skills and experience in developing curriculum and a strong interest in Japan,
– Have never lived in Japan nor visited Japan on a similar study tour,
– Be middle or high school classroom teachers of Economics, Social Studies, Geography or History (grades 6-12).
– Be able to attend the full itinerary. (Cancellations and changes made after the air ticket is issued will be paid by the Applicant)

Requirements

To participate in the Study Tour, applicants are required to agree to:
– Make a presentation and contribute to discussions at a symposium organized as part of the program.
– Submit a lesson plan on contemporary Japan for their own classroom to KKC by Oct. 31, 2024.
– Submit a final report to KKC by January 10, 2025, which describes how experiences and findings on the tour are used in the classroom and other occasions. Relevant copies of any school newspaper/magazine articles are appreciated.
– Consent that the lesson plans and the final reports become the property of KKC to be posted to its website for use by other school teachers.
– Understand that the demands of the itinerary are such that only individuals physically able to travel without special assistance should consider the participation, special diets cannot be provided and a smoke-free environment cannot be assured.
– Understand there will be no provisions for spouses to accompany fellows due to the nature of the program and logistical requirements.

How to Apply

Applications must include all required documents and be submitted no later than March 8, 2024 to the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania (JASP), the North American representative of the KKC Study Tour. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Required Documents

1.

Resume: A list of your current academic position, educational achievements, and professional activities. Provide details regarding previous curriculum and/or staff development experiences.

2.

Project Proposal: A 1-2 page narrative describing your interest in Japan and plan to use the program to develop specific curriculum materials and/or educational activities for use in classroom teaching on Japan.
Quality and originality are key elements in the selection process. Please provide a timeline of the project-related activities to be scheduled from September 2024-June 2025. You are encouraged to disseminate information to audiences beyond individual schools such as district-wide teacher resource centers, community or professional organizations. Local Japan-America Societies may be of assistance for community-wide dissemination efforts (www.us-japan.org).

3.

Letter of Employment: Letter of Employment: A letter from your employer, which attests to your full time professional (or sabbatical leave) status for the 2024-2025 school year.

4.

Letters of Recommendation: Two letters to support for applicants’ participation in the tour from administrators and/or key individuals.

After gathering all above documents electronically (“3. Letter of Employment,” and “4. Letters of Recommendations” may be mailed), please visit https://us-japan.org/kkc (application link https://najas.wufoo.com/forms/r1pu1gw61awsgr1/) to apply for the KKC Study Tour by the aforementioned deadline. A special committee will select and notify each fellow in writing on March 25, 2024. Submitted application documents become the property of the KKC and cannot be returned.

For further information

4601 Baum Blvd, Suite 275,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Email: kkcfellowshipus-japan.org
Tel: 412-856-8608
Ms. Katsuko Shellhammer

Lesson Plans on Japan prepared by participants of previous years are available at:
2019 Lesson Plans