Category: News

Seeking a part-time Japanese teacher for our SY2023-24 Japanese Plus program

Globalize DC is currently seeing a dynamic, creative, and committed part-time Japanese language teacher for our Japanese Plus program next school year. This will be to teach year 2 of a two-year Japanese language sequence. We have a highly motivated group of teens from eight different DC public high schools who are currently in their first year of Japanese with us, and they will need a new teacher for their second year of the program.

Japanese Plus is our innovative free afterschool Japanese language, culture, and career exposure program for DC public high school students citywide. Review this page, the student blog, and the full www.japaneseplus.org website for more information about our Japanese Plus program.

We are now seeking a dynamic new part-time Japanese teacher to co-lead this program. Interested? Download the job announcement here:

2023 GlobalizeDC-Japanese Teacher RecruitmentDownload

We will fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate. Please share this announcement with anyone you think might have an interest.

Consider making a real difference in the lives of our DC students. Globalize DC’s programs are among the few opportunities available to them – at no cost – to pursue their avid interest in Japanese language and culture.

Any questions? Contact sally@globalizedc.org.

Our Japan in DC summer program is back – and we’re recruiting!

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In March 2020 we were excitedly working to get ready for that summer’s JAPAN IN DC program. But then COVID struck and all in-person programming was cancelled – everywhere. What an incredible disappointment! If you know JAPAN IN DC, you know that it was created to be an in-person, experiential program for DC high school students. It wouldn’t be the same online. So we’ve waited out the pandemic, and with fingers still crossed, we finally are looking forward to the relaunch of JAPAN IN DC this summer 2023.

With generous support from the United States-Japan Foundation, we have funding in place. Now we’re looking for super interested DC public high school students and two Program Leaders to make this all happen.

About the JAPAN IN DC Program:  Over six weeks (June 26-August 4), students will move around the city to explore and experience a wide variety of people, places, organizations, businesses, government agencies, and cultural institutions in DC with connections to Japan. This is a really fun program – and life-transforming. Students will document their experiences through writing, photography, and other creative expression. This free program will be offered in partnership with the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP), which allows registered students to earn summer pay for participation. Any students even considering applying for JAPAN IN DC should be sure to register with MBSYEP before the February 28 deadline.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR MBSYEP


To Apply for JAPAN IN DC: Globalize DC will select students for JAPAN IN DC through a citywide application process.  The program is open to DC public high school students (DCPS or charter). Click below for more program details and to submit an application. We plan to accept up to twenty (20) students.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JAPAN IN DC AND APPLY


Please help share this information with interested students and parents, as well as teachers, partners, and others who can help us spread the word to DC high school students throughout all 8 wards of the city. You can use the link to our JAPAN IN DC webpage, which will be updated with new information as it develops.

And here’s a downloadable 2023 JAPAN IN DC STUDENT FLYER.

WE ARE ALSO SEEKING TWO DYNAMIC PART-TIME STAFF MEMBERS
FOR THIS SUMMER’S JAPAN IN DC PROGRAM

We are currently recruiting two Co-Teachers to lead this summer’s JAPAN IN DC Program. Ideal candidates would be secondary teachers, international education professionals, JET alumni, graduate students, or others with relevant experience. This is a fun program, for students and adult leaders, with significant movement across the city. High energy, dedication to high school student learning, and knowledge of DC geography a must.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2023 JAPAN IN DC JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Anyone with questions can email sally@globalizedc.org. Thanks for helping us spread the word about this great (paid) summer opportunity for DC teens.

Applications now being accepted for our SY22-23 Japanese Plus program

FALL STUDENT APPLICATION UPDATE
Deadline: September 24, 2022

Visit www.japaneseplus.org/japanese-plus/apply-for-japanese-plus/
for current information and application link.

We’re thrilled to finally be able to announce the return next fall of our free afterschool Japanese language, culture and career exposure program for DC public high school students.

It’s been a long wait, due to COVID, but we’re getting ready to come back with our popular Japanese Plus program next school year, thanks to a generous grant from the US-Japan Foundation. This is a fun but intensive program that meets twice a week throughout the school year – one weekday after school (possibly virtual) and Saturday mornings (and some Saturday afternoons). Students who will be 9th, 10th, or 11th graders next school year in either a DCPS or DC public charter school are eligible to apply. We will accept up to 20 students. Japanese Plus is a great program for students with a passion for Japan and an interest in possibly including Japan in their future college, career, and life plans.

We are beginning the student application process this summer. Any student with interest or possible interest in Japanese Plus should take the following steps.

1. Check out this Globalize DC:Japan website for more information on the program. Be sure to read some of our Student Blog. This should give you a good feel for the program and why students love it!

2. Fill out our Japanese Plus Student Interest Form. This way we’ll know who you are and will be able to invite you to any future online information sessions so that we can share more about the program, the application process, and answer any questions you may have. It’s a very quick form that shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes.

3. Be sure you check your email address for emails we send you. This will be our primary way of communicating with you!

4. We will hold our first online Japanese Plus Information Session on Tuesday, June 28 from 5:30-6:00 pm. Click HERE to join us. Anyone who fills out the Japanese Plus Student Interest Form will receive notice of future sessions.

Any questions? Email sally@globalizedc.org any time.

ISO “Japan in DC” Co-Teachers for Summer 2020 Program

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Globalize DC is now recruiting staff for our summer 2020 “Japan in DC” Program. Maybe this is the experience for you!

Introduced in 2017, “Japan in DC” gives interested DC public high school students the opportunity to explore and document the presence of Japan in their own city – through its individuals, institutions, and landmarks. This fun and educational six-week program is scheduled to run Monday-Friday, June 29- August 7, 2020, 9 am – 3 pm.

We are now seeking two qualified and energetic teachers or international educators to lead this summer program. Graduate students, with appropriate experience and interests, are encouraged to apply. These are paid, part-time positions. We hope to select these individuals by the end of March.

Click here for more details and information on how to apply: 2020 Japan-in-DC-Staff-Recruitment.

Any questions? Contact sally@globalizedc.org.

Japanese Plus student heading to Japan for university

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Jonah Nguyen-Conyers with Eshita-sensei after sharing the good news!

Jonah Nguyen-Conyers, a senior at DC International, has taken advantage of just about every Japan opportunity that Globalize DC has been able to offer to DC students. He first joined our Japan in DC summer program in 2017. He was a participant in our Blue Star of Life program at the Kennedy Center the following fall, and was included in our February 2018 KAKEHASHI trip to Tokyo and Gifu. He then took the very serious step of applying to our Japanese Plus afterschool program in fall 2018 as a Level 1 Japanese language student. He is currently in our Level 2 class. Jonah is a unique, joyful, and intellectually curious personality, and has been a great member of our Japan-focused community.

So it was with great excitement that we learned the wonderful news that Jonah has been accepted into Temple University, Japan Campus, to start in September 2019. We believe that pursuing his language and culture studies at a Japanese university will open doors to future career and life opportunities that have been percolating in Jonah’s imagination over the last few years with us. We are so excited for Jonah’s accomplishment. This will be the first student from Japanese Plus to make the big choice to pursue his undergraduate education in Japan. A former Japan in DC student, also from DCI, is now in her first year at TUJ.

We asked Jonah to reflect on his Japan journey, and to consider the impact that Globalize DC’s Japan programs have had on his life and future goals. Enjoy!

Ted Adams, Eshita-sensei, Jonah, and Sally at the Blue Star of Life program

Jonah’s Reflection

I think people should invest in Japanese Plus because this is just an awesome opportunity for students like myself to find motivation and a passion for their own success. Japanese Plus was able to guide me in ways that no other programs or organizations have, making sure their students experience enriching and impactful opportunities. All the things we did in the class allowed me to be more focused and passionate about my love and interest for Japan, with echoing effects that transcended the classroom and into my daily life. I really am happy I was given the opportunity to be a part of this program.

I was motivated to sign up for Japan in DC in 2017, because I had some kind of interest in anime, and the summer program was quite close to my house, and I got paid (through the DC Summer Youth Employment Program) to go. After the experience in Japan in DC, I really felt invested in the Japanese culture, and wished to learn more. So the Japanese Plus language class really was the best opportunity for me and my interests. I am beyond happy with my choice to join the afterschool Japanese language program.

The most significant aspects of Japanese Plus for me were the extensive access to very enriching opportunities that revolved around Japanese language and culture, along with great influence on the opportunities available after high school that related to college, giving me a lot of foresight of what opportunities for higher education in Japan could be for me and the other students in the class. This class allowed me to look into my future from a Japanese language student perspective and see a future I never knew I desired.

Japan in DC, Japanese Plus, and the KAKEHASHI trip to Japan were the foundations I needed to understand the way I wished my life would go in. These opportunities that I never thought I would have really just allowed me to see a future that I can work hard and be passionate about. I really just loved the whole journey that I’ve taken to get to where I am now. Without these opportunities I honestly think I would be less passionate and dedicated to my future.

I decided to apply to Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), as the process of getting the information from my friend and website and other means were quite efficient and fit my life during the time of applying. I was hoping to apply to other Japanese universities (and still might), but this was one of the schools I was able to apply to through the Common Application, for which I was given a lot of guidance through my school, as it is a nationwide application service. So applying to TUJ at the time was a great choice when considering my own circumstances and the other things in my life.

In the future I wish to go to college, and learn the Japanese language to the extent and fluency of a native speaker, and be able to share and communicate with Japanese people, hoping to understand their lives and culture, something I will be learning forever. I hope to go to college, get a Japanese language degree, be an English teacher or art teacher, and just have the experience of being a part of this vastly different country. After teaching I don’t know what I might do, but I would love to reach back to my Chinese and Vietnamese passions and get more invested in those parts of my identity, maybe through the Peace Corps. As long as I am learning at all points in my life, I will be happy, and that’s what this future can provide for me.

Join us at our May 29th Final Presentation

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Please join us for our

JAPANESE PLUS
YEAR-END STUDENT PRESENTATION

Our DC students will share some of what they’ve learned and experienced this school year
in our afterschool Japanese language, culture, and career exposure program.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019
The Charles Sumner School
1201 17th Street, NW (17th & M) – near Farragut North metro stop 

5:30 – 6:30 pm: Student Exhibit and Reception
(an informal meet and greet, with light refreshents)

6:30 – 7:30 pm: Final Student Presentation
(seating is limited, so RSVPs required to guarantee a spot) 

Please contact me at sally@globalizedc.org to RSVP, or if you need further information.

Seeking Japanese teachers for next year’s Japanese Plus program

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Globalize DC is growing its Japanese language programs in the 2019-2020 school year!! Japanese Plus is our innovative afterschool Japanese language, culture, and career exposure program for DC public high school students citywide. Review this website for much more information about the program.

We are seeking one or two new dynamic part-time Japanese teachers to join our team. Interested? Download the job announcement here:

2019 Japanese Teacher Recruitment

We will fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate(s). Please share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested.

Any questions? Contact sally@globalizedc.org.

ISO “Japan in DC” Co-Teachers for 2019 Program

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Arboretum columns

Globalize DC is now recruiting staff for our summer 2019 “Japan in DC” Program.

Introduced in 2017, “Japan in DC” gives interested DC public high school students the opportunity to explore and document the presence of Japan in their own city – through its individuals, institutions, and landmarks. This fun and educational four-week program is scheduled to run Monday-Friday, July 1- 26, 2019, 9 am – 3 pm.

We are now seeking two qualified and energetic teachers or international educators to lead this summer program. Graduate students, with appropriate experience and interests, are encouraged to apply. These are paid, part-time positions. We hope to select these individuals by early April.

Click here for more details and information on how to apply: 2019-Japan-in-DC-Teacher-Recruitment

Any questions? Contact sally@globalizedc.org.

 

Japanese Pop Comes to CHEC

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Kana Uemura Event-12

Ka-na performs.

On Wednesday, October 18, 2018 the students of Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC) received a very special treat, courtesy of the Embassy of Japan. Ka-na (Kana Uemura), a New York City-based Japanese singer-songwriter, visited the school in recognition of the upcoming launch of CHEC’s new Japanese language program. The event was hosted by CHEC principal Maria Tukeva, and was attended by about 50 enthusiastic high school students, many of whom plan to enroll in one of the new Japanese classes scheduled to begin in January 2019.

The Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy, Mr Kazutoshi Aikawa, introduced Ka-na, and also used the occasion to present a blown-up check to Principal Tukeva, representing a salary assistance grant to CHEC from the Japan Foundation in support of its new Japanese language program. Mr. Aikawa presented a second check from the Japan Foundation to Sally Schwartz for continued support of Globalize DC’s afterschool Japanese Plus program.

CHEC students were mesmerized and charmed by Ka-na’s musical performance – both vocals and guitar – held in the high school Library. In 2010, Ka-Na became a national star in Japan with her acoustic ballad, “Toire no Kamisama” or “Goddess of the Bathroom,” a heartfelt and moving song about her memories of her grandmother, which she sang during her afternoon performance. Her repertoire also included her new song, “Happiness,” other Japanese songs, and even a Michael Jackson cover.  At the conclusion of her singing, Ka-na warmly answered questions, took photos, and signed autographs with the students. It was a wonderful afternoon. The students can’t wait for Japanese classes to begin!

Columbia Heights Education Campus has hosted Globalize DC’s afterschool Japanese Plus program since fall 2016. Last school year, with an initial grant from the Japan Foundation-Los Angeles, Globalize DC offered a single Japanese I course to CHEC students during the school day. The class quickly reached maximum capacity, and led to CHEC’s decision to build its own Japanese language program, the first of its kind in a DC public school. Globalize DC will continue to work with CHEC as a community partner to nurture and help build community support for a strong Japanese language program that will benefit our city’s young people.

We thank the Embassy of Japan for their ongoing encouragement and support.

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Our SY2018-19 Japanese Plus Program Launches!

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We’re thrilled to announce that our SY2018-19 Japanese Plus afterschool program launched on Saturday, September 29. Since then, our new DCPS and DC public charter high school students have been meeting twice a week (Wednesdays 4:30-6:30 pm and Saturdays 9:00 am-12 pm) at Columbia Heights Education Campus to pursue their avid interest in Japanese language and culture.

Japanese Plus is a citywide afterschool Japanese language, culture, and career exposure program open at no cost to DC public school students. Globalize DC created this program to address the lack of Japanese language programs in DC public schools

Twenty (20) students were selected for this year’s program through a citywide application process. We have ended up with a great group – dynamic, dedicated, curious, friendly, and a lot of fun! They represent ten different high schools from both DCPS and the charter sector – Banneker, BASIS DC, Capital City, DC International, Ellington, McKinley, Phelps, Washington Latin, School Without Walls, and Wilson.

You can learn more about each of our Japanese Plus students here.

We also encourage you to follow our Student Blog to learn about the Japanese Plus experience through the eyes of our students.

Special thanks again to the United-States Japan Foundation and Japan Foundation-Los Angeles for their generous financial support of this year’s Japanese Plus program. We could not offer this life-changing opportunity without you.