2013 Summer Institute - "Reinventing Japan"

The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA) at the University of Colorado invite application the summer 2013 residential summer institute on contemporary Japan. The 2013 institute is open to secondary teachers nationwide who teach about Asia. The institute is also designed to provide enrichment for teachers who have previously completed an NCTA seminar. Teachers selected to participate receive a travel stipend to defray transportation costs, a full housing/meal package, institute texts, and teaching resources. The program is 20 teachers; applications are reviewed by a selection panel. Application deadline is March 15, 2013; notification date is April 4, 2013.

Institute Overview

In the first years of the 21st century, Japan struggled with persistent and critical challenges, including economic stagnation, an aging population, disaffected youth, and crippling governmental stalemates. Then, in March 2011, the “triple tragedy” of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown struck. The nation’s efforts to address the immediate crisis brought long-term issues into new focus. Many observers cite 2011 as a turning point, providing both an opportunity and imperative for Japanese to reappraise their present and forge new directions for the future. This institute considers challenges facing Japan today and offers perspectives on Japan’s directions in the 21st century. Among the topics to be addressed are 21st-century social trends and challenges, political reform, global Japan, lessons of Japan’s triple tragedy, and new directions in culture, literature, and the arts. The eight-day program offers teachers a unique opportunity to consider how and what to teach about contemporary Japan. Teachers’ work will be informed by lectures and discussions with academic and public policy specialists. The institute will feature a curriculum strand of sessions on classroom implementation presented by teacher consultants.

Now in its 29th year, the Program for Teaching East Asia is a professional development and curriculum program with the goal of enhancing curriculum and instruction about East Asia in grades K-12. TEA is one of the founding institutions and National Coordinating Sites of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), which celebrates 15 years of programming in 2013.

Complete information and application package are available at http://www.colorado.edu/cas/tea/

Questions? Contact lynn.parisi@colorado.edu.