In 1992 a small but committed group of high school Japanese teachers founded the Northeast Association of Secondary Teachers of Japanese(NEASTJ). It is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the teaching of Japanese language at the pre-collegiate level throughout the Northeast. The Northeast Association of Secondary Teachers of Japanese (NEASTJ) changed its name to the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ) in 2000. The NECTJ covers not only secondary education, but also a wider range of levels including elementary and education for children of Japanese heritage. The purpose of the Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ) is to broaden Japanese language education in the northeastern area of the country and assist educators in their professional work as teachers of Japanese language and culture. The majority of our work focuses on the high school level, but we also work with educators at American middle & elementary schools and schools for children of Japanese heritage. We recognize that teachers need constant help and practical information, opportunities to pool their talents, and to share information about effective classroom practices. Our members are also engaged in grassroots relations with community administration and other school colleagues. Our students come from all ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds in the US and those who learn Japanese language and culture contribute greatly to relations between America and Japan in many profound ways. Each year we host a teacher's conference in New York in the fall, Boston in the spring and a student-centered Japanese culture festival in the spring which provides high school students with opportunities to learn more about Japan and use their Japanese language skills. Four times a year we publish newsletters which have articles written by our members and their students, announcements of job openings, school year training programs, upcoming activities, and other helpful information for our members. We publish the Kisetsu series textbooks and other educational materials. We regularly facilitate exchange programs to and from Japan for pre-college students, and we help our members attend national conferences for language teachers. In addition, we continuously have Study Group once a month, to share teaching materials and ideas. We thought you might like to become involved with our organization to educate our American students about Japanese language and culture.
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