News: Opportunity for High School Students of Japanese

Hello everyone, Becky here! I have pasted below information for high school students studying Japanese below. Enjoy!

Dear Sensei-gata in the U.S.

The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) is now accepting applications for the following program.

Please see our website (http://www.jflalc.org/grant_index.html) or the attached “Program Announcement”(PDF) for the details. (Deadline: 5/13/2011)

"JET Memorial Invitation Program for U.S. High School Students"

To commemorate the two JET program participants who sadly lost their lives during the Great East Earthquake in Japan, Ms. Taylor Anderson (Ishinomaki, Miyagi) and Mr. Montgomery Dickson (Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate), the Japan Foundation will invite American high school students, who are studying Japanese language, to Japan and provide them with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture, in the hope that they will serve as a bridge between the two countries in the future. The program will run, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for five years, starting in 2011.

Program Location and Accommodation

The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute, Kansai

http://www.jfkc.jp/en/introduction/facility.html

Program Schedule

7/16(Sat)　Assemble in San Francisco (S.F.)

7/17(Sun)　Pre-departure Orientation

7/18(Mon)　Leave S.F. (7/19 Arriving in Osaka, Japan)

7/19(Tue)~7/27(Wed)　Main Program in Japan

7/28(Thu)　Leave Osaka (7/28 Arriving at S.F.)

7/28(Thu)~ 7/29(Fri)　Wrap-up Meeting

7/29(Fri) or 7/30(Sat)　Leave S.F. (return home)

Application Procedure

Deadline: May 13, 2011 (Friday)

Application materials (attached) must be submitted by the applicant’s Japanese-language teacher. The Japanese-language teacher may submit applications for up to TWO students per school. Application materials must ARRIVE at the JFLA office no later than Friday, May 13, 2011. The result will be notified in June, 2011.

Eligibility

Applicant must fulfill all the following criteria:

(1) U.S. citizen

(2) 11th or 12th grade high school student in the U.S. as of the end of May 2011

(3) Completed a two year Japanese-language course at a U.S. high school and have earned a credit in a Japanese-language course in the 2010-2011 school year. In addition, participants intend to continue to study Japanese in the coming years

(4) A member of Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) or have equivalent academic score (Japanese GPA: 3.5 or higher; all-subject GPA: 3.0 or higher)

(5) As of the program start date, have not stayed in Japan for more than seven consecutive days within the past three years

(6) Able to take part in the entire itinerary, including the pre-visit orientation and post-visit wrap-up meeting in San Francisco

(7) In good physical and mental health

(8) Have consent of parent/guardian.

Contact

Mamiko Nakai

Program Officer (Language)

The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles

333 S. Grand Ave., #2250

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Tel: 1-213-621-2267 (Ext.110)

Fax: 1-213-621-2590

Email: language@jflalc.org

URL: www.jflalc.org