JETAA Initiative

JETAA Working Group Members:

Jessyca Livingston (Hokkaido, 2003-06) Rocky Mountain JETAA & JETAA USA Board of Advisors

Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) JETwit.com, JETAA New York & JETAA USA Board of Advisors

James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) JETAA New York & JETAA USA Board of Advisors

Ryan Hart (Chiba-ken, 1998-99) Pacific Northwest JETAA & JETAA USA Board of Advisors

Christina Omori (Saitama-ken, 2004-05) New England JETAA & JETAA USA Country Representative

Jennifer Butler (Shizuoka-ken, 2001-04) JETAA Music City & JETAA USA Country Representative

Casey Mochel (Hyogo-ken, 2005-08) Pacific Northwest JETAA & JETAA USA Country Representative

Melissa Chan (Tokyo-to, 2005-07) JETAA Northern California & Former JETAA USA Country Representative

Leigh Ann Mastrini (Hyogo-ken, 2006-08) JETAA DC President

Josh Berglund (Kumamoto-ken, 2008-09) JETAA DC

Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06) JETAA Northern California Vice-President & Former Newsletter Editor

Discussions with organizations interested in working with JETAA

USJBF's

JETAA Initiative

• CULCON
• Japan-America Societies
• Sister Cities
• MOFA/CLAIR/MEXT
• US Department of State
• Universities
• Others

“Strengthening the JETAA Network and

Connecting Next Generation Leaders”

Long-term Goals for a national JETAA

Focus Group with JETAA USA

Working Group

Paige Cottingham-Streater, Executive Director

U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation

ALT, Mie-ken 1988-1989

Regional

Fact-Finding Missions

• To create a self-sustaining national organization with 501(c)3 nonprofit status that can assist local JETAA Chapters and individual alumni, creating a stronger, more dynamic network of independent JETAA Chapters nationwide

• JETAA Heartland
• JETAA SE

Process

Focus Group Purpose

Introduce Initiative, examine JETAA organization and explore opinions about the feasibility of and vision for a national JETAA

Focus Group Agenda

• JETAA Objectives: providing JETAA network, promoting JET Program, promoting US-Japan relations
• Perceptions of Current JETAA strengths and weaknesses: governance, funding, membership, communications, programming, cooperation, brand identity
• Opinions about the feasibility of and vision for a national JETAA
• Evaluation of NAJAS model

Focus Group Meeting

Washington, DC, August 16, 2013

Key Findings

According to focus group participants, a national organization would best serve as a resource and provide support to chapters in the following areas:

• Management and leadership training

• Fundraising and 501(c)3 status

JETAA Initiative

“Strengthening the JETAA Network and Connecting Next Generation Leaders”

• Serving as a national point of contact with CLAIR, MOFA

• Serving as a national point of contact for career and other information

• Being a resource/repository for best practices, programming information

• Organizing the national conference

• Spearheading national initiatives

• Supporting communications among chapters

• Creating a stronger national JETAA brand

Supported by a grant from The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP)

Concerns Presented by Participants

• Important to retain chapter autonomy and local identity

• Should not be a top-down organization

• Important to keep local programming strong

• Needs to serve an extremely diverse, spread-out membership

Suggested Challenges

• Sustaining funding and management

• Obtaining 501(c)3 status on local level

• Competing with other Japan-related groups for membership

• Elevating the brand of JETAA so that it is recognized as a resource in the U.S.-Japan community

• Creating consistent communication platforms across chapters

• Coordination between chapters

• Establish a professional organization that works with local JETAA Chapters to help them build their membership, programming

July 2013

September 2013

Winter 2014

Community Conversation

October 2012

Fall 2012/Winter 2013

July 2011

USJBF Selects Project Director

USJBF Hosts Community Conversation in MN

USJBF Analyzes Findings and Submits Proposal to Continue Initiative

USJBF Submits Proposal to CGP

USJBF Introduces Concept of JETAA Initiative in San Francisco

JETAA Invites CULCON to Speak at National Conference in Washington, DC

If year one findings demonstrate that a national JETAA organization is feasible, then USJBF will request funding for years two and three.

USJBF applies for funding to CGP under their "Grassroots Exchange and Education" category for the JETAA Initiative "Strengthening the JETAA Network and Connecting Next Generation Leaders."

USJBF engages JETAA Chapter representatives in exploration of benefits of a national organization.

Paige Cottingham-Streater discusses possibility of funding to explore a JETAA Initiative at the JETAA National Conference in San Francisco.

JETAA chapter representatives express interest in participating in U.S.-Japan dialog and activities related to Person-to-Person Exchanges.

USJBF selects Laurel Lukaszewski (ALT, Kagoshima-ken 1990-1992) as JETAA Initiative Project Director.

• Serve as a contact for organizations interested in partnering with JETAA on national initiatives

Spring 2014 and beyond

Fall 2013 / Winter 2014

Fall 2012

August 2013

Fall 2011

March 2013

JETAA Next Steps

JETAA Establishes Working Group

USJBF Continues Feasibility Study

CGP Accepts USJBF Proposal for First Year

USJBF Conducts First Focus Group in Washington, DC

With funding, the JETAA Initiative would:

CULCON Offers JETAA Grant

• create a professional development plan enabling the organization to become self-sustaining

USJBF holds a moderated Focus Group

with members of the JETAA USA Working

Group, led by an independent consultant.

USJBF continues to seek input from JETAA Chapters, individual JET alumni, and others involved in the U.S.-Japan relationship through one-on-one conversations, surveys and visits to select JETAA Chapters.

• determine the structure of a national JETAA

CULCON offers JETAA a grant to develop pilot project. JETAA unable to respond.

• apply for 501(c)3 nonprofit status

Year one funding approved to assess feasibility of a national JETAA organization.

Survey of JET Alumni and Chapters

• Serve as a national clearinghouse for current and past JETs for information on careers, fundraising, US-Japan relations, and other related information