2015 Japan Study Tour
Tentative dates June 24-July 7, 2015
The study tour will visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kyoto.
Application Deadline:
Monday, February 2, 2015, noon EST (11am CST, 10am MST, 9am PST)
Participation fee: $1500 ($500 if grant funding received)
Program at a Glance
The Five College Center for East Asian Studies (FCCEAS) will conduct a study tour to Japan in summer 2015 for alumni—from any state—of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) program. Participants will be required to complete an online pre-departure orientation and a dissemination component (outlined below). NCTA alumni who have completed all requirements of the NCTA seminar they attended by December 31, 2014 are eligible to apply.
The goal of this study tour is to learn about peace education in Japan and to use the knowledge acquired to develop implementation strategies for use in US schools. Participants will visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kyoto and will visit museums dedicated to peace and peace education, meet with Japanese teachers and students, and learn from scholars and others involved in peace efforts in Japan.
The study tour is administered by Dr. Anne Prescott, director of the Center, who will also lead the study tour. John Frank, Social Studies Teacher, Center Grove High School, Greenwood, IN, will accompany the group as curriculum coordinator. Questions about the study tour program should be directed to Anne at aprescott@fivecolleges.edu; 413-585-3754.
Participants in the 2015 Japan Study Tour Program agree to complete the following components
Pre-Departure Orientation (April 1-June 15, 2015)
Participants will complete weekly reading assignments, 2-3 synchronous webinars for study tour participants only, and watch 6 recorded webinars on Japanese culture.
2015-16 School Year Dissemination
Participants will be required to complete a curriculum project (see page 5) and a community project. The curriculum project will be compiled into a printed document which will also be available for download from the FCCEAS website. All participants are required to conduct a minimum of one professional development presentation to a group of at least fifteen of their peers. Participants will also make one community presentation; this may take the form of a talk (e.g., local library, Rotary club), newspaper article, or other means of communicating the experience to a general audience.
Eligibility
- Successful completion of all requirements of an NCTA seminar (any location in the US) before Dec. 30, 2014.
- Teach full time
- Plan to remain in the classroom for at least five years following the conclusion of the Study Tour.
- Have a doctor’s verification for fitness to travel.
Other Important Points—Please Read Carefully
- This is a group study tour. Participants are expected to participate in all scheduled activities.
- Accommodations will be single-occupancy when possible; in the case of double-occupancy accommodations, roommates will be assigned.
- Participants’ spouses, family members, and friends may not participate in the study tour.
- The study tour activity level is high; walking two miles in high heat and humidity at a moderate pace are common. Participants should begin a fitness program immediately upon selection.
- All participants are responsible for attending to their own luggage at all times.
- All applicants will be required to sign the "Assumption of Risk/Release and Indemnification of All Claims/ Covenant Not to Sue" form (The document is available for download on the study tour application webpage https://www.fivecolleges.edu/fcceas/2015-study-tour). Anyone who is unwilling or unable to sign the waiver should not apply for the Program.
- Food preferences can not be accommodated.
- Participants who do not complete the study tour and follow-up obligations may be required to reimburse the Center for amounts that have been expended on their behalf, including up to $500 in administrative fees.
Program Expenses
The study tour is partially funded by the Freeman Foundation. We have applied for additional funding from the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF) and expect to hear from them by April 20, 2015. The following costs are included:
- Lodging, most meals, entrance fees, and domestic travel in Japan
- Required books, readings, and curriculum materials
- Airfare over $1500. If funding is received from USJF, selected participants will be reimbursed for all but $500 of their airfare. Note: Those who book their flights using mileage or awards points must pay a registration fee of $1500, $1000 of which will be refunded it USJF funding is received.
The following costs are the responsibility of the participant:
- $1500 ($500 if grant funding is received) of the total round-trip airfare from the US to Fukuoka, Japan and return from Osaka or Tokyo. Participants will book and pay for their own flights, using either the Center’s travel agent (recommended) or an agent/service of their choice, and then receive a refund for the amount over $1500 ($500 if grant funding is received.) Selected participants will receive further guidance with their acceptance notification.
- Some meals and some local transportation (subway, bus, tram) expenses
- Passport fees.
- Transportation to and from the US departure city.
- A travel insurance policy that includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation insurance.
- Overseas medical coverage (Most HMO plans do not cover this, and many insurance plans offer very limited coverage. Applicants should check with their health plans. Coverage is often available as part of a travel insurance policy.)
- Costs associated with the development of the participant’s specific curriculum project.
- Daily optional personal purchases (such as bottled water, alcoholic beverages, and snacks) and costs of personal travel during free time or beyond the dates of the Study Tour.
- Costs associated with meeting the dissemination requirement, if any.
Selection Criteria
All applications will be reviewed by a committee and evaluated on the following criteria:
- Successful completion of NCTA seminar program requirements
- Demonstrated interest in peace education
- Potential for classroom integration and wider dissemination of the program experience
- Suitable responses to questions on the attached application
- History of or potential for influencing colleagues in the field
- Personal qualifications and interpersonal skills.
- Geographic and discipline balance will be considered when making the final selections.
The Center will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or handicapping condition.
Notification of selection will be by e-mail on or before February 23, 2015.
edited by cgao on 12/3/2014