Mr. Devine will be among 160 educators visiting Japan in October. They will begin their visit in Tokyo with a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture, and meetings with Japanese government officials and educators. They then will travel in groups of 16 to selected host cities where they will have direct contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools as well as a teachers college. They will also visit cultural sites and local industries in addition to a brief homestay with a Japanese family.

The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund, based in Tokyo, oversees all aspects of the Teacher Program. The program is sponsored by the Government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. The Institute of International Education acts as the agency for the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund to coordinate the recruitment and pre-departure activities of the Teacher Program in the United States.

Educators from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be invited to visit Japan. Upon their return, program participants share what they have learned about Japan with their students and communities through a variety of outreach projects.

For more information about the JFMF Teacher Program, please refer to http://www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp or contact 1-888-527-2636 (1-888-Japan-FMF) or jfmf@iie.org.