September 26, 2015 Pamela Kavalam, President, JETAA New York Ryan Hata, AJET Director of Alumni Resources Ashlie O’Neill, Director of Alumni Relations Transitioning from JET to JETAA: How Chapters Can Connect with Current JETs 2015 JETAA-USA National Conference Detroit, Michigan

SESSION GOALS  Objective: find strategies to help alumni chapters connect with current JETs as early as possible  What is AJET?  Introduce Alumni Relations and Resources Chairs  How can we collaborate with them?  Troubleshoot & Brainstorm  Talk about next steps

WHAT IS AJET?  The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (AJET) is a volunteer organisation of JET Programme participants. AJET serves the JET community by building support networks, organising useful information, and offering resources to enhance the lives of the Programme participants in Japan and abroad. It maintains a counselling service and an online magazine, and voices the opinions and concerns of JETs to CLAIR and the Japanese government ministries that manage the JET Programme. AJET has existed since the inception of the JET Programme.

AJET Structure  National Committee – 20 members total  Chair & Executive Committee (3 members)  Block Representatives (11 members)  Each block member is responsible for their block (between three and five prefectures). Under each block, there are prefectural AJET groups that source information on a local prefectural level.  Interest Groups (Stonewall, Asian-Pacific Islander)  Special Directors (CIR, Communications, Public Relations)  Alumni Relations & Resources Chairs

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RESOURCES  Ryan Hata  Second year ALT based at Aoya Senior High School in Tottori Prefecure  From Honolulu, Hawaii  Tasks as Director of Alumni Resources:  builds solid ties between JETs and JET alumni by bridging opportunities between the communities  relays information and employment prospects (posts job listings on JETWit)  Provides information on graduate school  Finds networking opportunities for fellow JETs and ways to connect with alumni  Hoping to start a mentorship program with JETAA chapters (more on that later)

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS  Ashlie O’Neill )  From New South Wales, Australia  ALT in Hyogo prefecture  Tasks as Director of Alumni Relations  Writes Life After JET – would like to do Spotlight on JETAA chapters around the world  links past JETs (alumni) and current JETs  works to strengthen the relationship between AJET and the JET Alumni Association (JETAA) by providing current JETs and alumni chances to interact and share their knowledge  promotes AJET to the JET alumni community

JOINT ACTIVITIES WITH AJET  AJET Newsletter/website JETAA (Ashlie)  Share what happens in various JETAA chapters and what JET alumni are doing in their respective cities/countries (their jobs, community building, internationalization, etc.) and we can post it to Facebook groups that JETs are currently in. We could also post similar information on the AJET website.  Collaborate on articles- showcased on both JETAA pages and AJET  Mentorship programs (Ryan)  Connect with Ryan if you have a mentorship program or are open to starting one (Sarah, Music City)  Creating a list of sempai for new JETs to connect with virtually/phone/in- person to do informational interviews  Posting jobs on JETwit (Ryan)  Posts directly to Job Listings Facebook page and the JETwit Jobs Google Groups.Job Listings Facebook page and the JETwit Jobs Google Groups.

HOW DO CURRENT JETS KNOW ABOUT JETAA?  How do we reach those people who don’t sign up officially via the consulate?  Message to leavers from JETAA on AJET website ▪ AJET can promote this message to each of the block’s Facebook groups to transition outgoing JETs to their respective JETAA chapters (did this in 2014)  Project for the Director of Alumni Relations/Resources chairs to spread the word to current JETs, word of mouth, prefectural leavers’ conferences  Posting on general JET facebook group  Create post about about country JETAA conferences like the one happening in Detroit at the end of this month. I think it would spark some interest from current JETs, especially those who are unfamiliar with JETAA. It would also be interesting to see the uniqueness of each JETAA chapter.

CONNECTING WITH CURRENT JETS  This would definitely be a way where Ashlie and I can help. Since we are in Japan and still on the JET Program, we’re able to reach out to current JETs and have access to them personally and through various Facebook groups.  Connecting with own prefecture jets (i.e. I was in Shiga and I write to the current JETs on their Facebook groups and post when it's time for people to think about joining an alumni group)  If other JETAA members from different prefectures can post to their prefectural AJET pages, I think we can encourage more outgoing JETs to join.

NEXT STEPS  Reach out to Ryan and Ashlie  Mentorship program (Ryan) – hoping to start an informal committee  Connecting alumni with the current JET in their town (Either)  JETWit job postings (Ryan)  Plan to send out an official letter from JETAA to all departing JETs  Creating a JETAA/AJET leadership pipeline

Thank you!  Pam Kavalam:  Ryan Hata:  Ashlie O’Neill: