Students in Rikuzentakata Take the Eiken in Memory of Monty
Thanks to Steven Horowitz of JETwit.com for sharing the English translation/ summary (see below) of this article. For the Japanese version, which originally was published on January 19, 2012 on the Kahoku Shimpo (Tohoku News) website, click HERE.
JETAA USA donated a portion of the Earthquake Relief Funds to the project talked about in this article. The project was a huge success resulting in triple the number of junior high students [more]
JETAA USA Receives Message of Thanks from Hope for Tomorrow
JETAA USA donated part of their Earthquake Relief Fund to the Japanese NPO, Hope for Tomorrow. The main focus of Hope for Tomorrow is to provide financial support for the incurred travel costs associated with university entrance examinations for high school students.
The JETAA USA grant allowed Hope for Tomorrow to open a program in Rikuzentakata. Hope for Tomorrow also provides English language tutoring to students as a thoughtful acknowledgment to [more]
2012 JET Memorial Invitation Program for U.S. HS Students: Applications Open!
JET-MIP was created in 2011 to honor two beloved American English teachers, Taylor Anderson (Ishinomaki, Miyagi-ken) and Monty Dickson (Rikuzentakata, Iwate-ken) who lost their lives during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan. The Program, which provides 32 high school students the opportunity to visit Japan and learn about Japanese language and culture, is continuing for 2012 . Our hope is that this opportunity will motivate American youth to [more]
Rikuzentakata, Iwate: 9 Months After the Tsunami
Thanks to Vancouver-based JET alum Alison Dacia Brown (Rikuzentakata, Iwate 2005-08) for sharing this article. It also appears on page 8 of the latest issue of the JETAA British Columbia Newsletter and on JETwit. This is a follow-up to her previous article, “Rikuzentakata.”
The last article I wrote for JETAABC was just a few weeks after the tragedy happened. I lived in Rikuzentakata, a small city in Iwate prefecture on the coast, whose [more]
Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival Songwriting Contest
If you will be in the Nashville area on Saturday, March 24th, definitely check out the 4th annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival. In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo presented 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C. This year (2012) marks the 100th anniversary. In celebration, there is a Cherry Blossom Songwriting Contest underway with a $3000 Grand Prize! The deadline for submissions is January 15th, 2012. For more details, visit the [more]
JET alums Alan Mockridge and James Foley were on California's Bay Area KTSF Channel 26 news this past October. They are both participants in the JET Returner's Program, where 20 JET alums from the Tohoku area were selected to travel back to their JET hometowns post 3.11 and share their experiences with the world.
James and Alan's travels are featured on their JETAA USA webpages, so please take a look. Enjoy [more]
For any of us who are JET alums, losing one of our own is a heartbreaking thought. This is especially true if their life was taken while on JET as a result of the tragic events of 3.11. JET alums around the world know the lives Monty Dickson and Taylor Anderson lived; it was our life too.
Monty and Taylor were both JETs in the Tohoku Region: Monty in Rikuzentakata and [more]
Monty Dickson was one of two US JETs to perish in the devastation of March 3, 2011. JETAA USA has focused much of their funds to assist in the rebuilding of Monty's town, Rikuzentakata. (see JETAA USA Media Release: Disubursment of Funds and JETAA Funded Project in Rikuzentakata) We thought some of you would be interested in seeing some video clips of Rikuzentakata both before and after the tsunami hit. [more]
JETAA USA (JET Alumni Association of the United States of America) supports the JET Program, the US chapters and membership. We promote a broader and deeper understanding between Japan and the US through our local JETAA chapter activities, thus playing an important role in the promotion of US-Japan relations. JETAA US chapters promote Japan and Japanese culture in the form of community, cultural and social events on a grassroots level.
JETAA USA is a member of JET Alumni Association International (JETAAi). JETAAi was created in 1989 to strengthen and maintain the bonds of friendship developed between JET Program participants. JETAAi has 53,000+ alumni in 52 chapters spanning 17 countries, with the most members in the USA. Country chapters are supported by JETAAi.
AJET (Association of JETs) is an independent, not-for-profit government relations organization that supports JET Programme participants in cooperation with the Council for Local Authorities and International Relations, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Communication.