Keizai Koho Center Teacher Fellowship
Application Due: March 8, 2024 
Dates: June 24 (Mon) -July 2 (Tue), 2024 (Tentative)
Program Type: Education Exchange, Public Affairs
Contact: Email: kkcfellowship@us-japan.org
Contact Phone: 412-856-8608, Ms. Katsuko Shellhammer
Since 1980, over 700 U.S. and Canadian social studies teachers have taken part in “KKC Study Tour to Japan”. The program 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 of the Program
June 24 (Mon) -July 2 (Tue), 2024 (Tentative)
The contents will be developed to provide vivid and enjoyable experiences which may include:
- Visits to Japanese schools and Japanese companies,
- Meetings with scholars and/or experts on political, economic, social issues and the education system,
- Cultural and fun experiences,
- A seminar with an audience of business people.
Costs covered by KKC
KKC provides round trip air transportation from the participants’ home city to Tokyo, 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 seminar organized as a part of the program.
- Submit a lesson plan on contemporary Japan for their classroom to KKC by Oct. 31, 2024.
- Submit a final report to KKC by January 10, 2025, which describes how experiences and findings from the tour are used in the class-room 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 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 various restrictions related to Covid-19 might be necessary.
- Understand there will be no provisions for spouses to accompany fellows due to the nature of the program and logistical arrangements.
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 (Electronic copies required)
- Resume: A list of your current academic position, educational achievements, and professional activities. Provide details regarding previous curriculum and/or staff development experiences.
- 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 on contemporary 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).
- Letter of Employment: A letter from your employer, which attests to your full time professional status for the 2024-2025 school year.
- Letters of Recommendation: Two letters to support for applicants’ participation in the tour from administrators and/or key individuals. Letters may be mailed separately to the JASP.
After gathering all above documents electronically (“3. Letter of Employment,” and “4. Letters of Recommendation” may be mailed), please visit 2024 Online Application 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.
Click here to download the 2024 brochure
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there any free time for my own research in Japan?
A: No. Basically the program runs from morning to evening almost everyday.
Q: Will meals be supplied?
A: Keizai Koho Center (KKC) arranges accommodation with breakfast. KKC covers most lunches required by the program. When KKC does not arrange lunch and/or dinner, you will be requested to pay for the meals.
Q: Any out-of-pocket expenses?
A: Shopping and any side trips (if and when you have time) are out-of-pocket.
Q: May I bring my spouse or partner?
A: No.
Q: How many letters of recommendation should I submit?
A: Two letters of recommendation are required.
Q: Can I have a student or a parent write a letter of recommendation?
A: Since it is an academic fellowship it is best to have someone that you have worked with or for in the education field.
Q: Is there a word/page limit for the project proposal narrative?
A: There is no set limit but on average, the proposals we have received have been between 1-2 pages.
Q: Is there a file size limit when I submit my application?
A: The total size should not exceed 3MB.
Q: What is the best method to send the letter of recommendation?
A: Our preferred method is uploading a scanned letters to the online application.
To learn more about the fellowship, please visit the Keizai Koho Center website.
Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans on Japan prepared by participants of previous years are available at the Keizai Koho Center website.