We are now accepting applications for nationwide/statewide/regional projects which will start and finish between April 1, 2021 and March 15, 2022.
Application Deadline: Two months prior to the project start date
(Photo: Workshop by Delaware Valley Teachers of Japanese)
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (hereafter “JFLA”) provides financial assistance for projects which promote Japanese language education in a wide area (nationwide/statewide/region-wide), not exceeding $5,000. The project should benefit multiple Japanese language programs and as many teachers as possible.
Therefore, projects which only benefit a single school/institution are NOT eligible for this grant program. JFLA accepts applications from non-profit educational institutions/organizations (Japanese language teachers’ associations, higher educational institutions, etc.) in the U.S., not from individuals.
Grant Amount: Up to $5,000 per project
The eligible projects are listed below and must start and finish between April 1, 2021 and March 15, 2022.
Type A: Workshop/Seminar/Conference
Priority will be given to workshops/seminars/conferences that can provide participating teachers with professional development credits/units (university credits, continuing education units, professional development clock-hours, etc.) or certificates of attendance, which can be used towards receiving/renewing teacher’s license/credential. licenses/credentials.
JFLA also encourages workshops/seminars/conferences which invite guest speakers not only from Japanese language education but also from the field of Japan Studies (Japanese Literature History, Social Studies, etc.) so that Japanese language teachers can learn about Japan-related contents as well as how to incorporate the information pedagogically into their Japanese language classrooms (content-based learning, project-based learning, etc.).
Type B: Original Projects
Any nationwide/statewide/region-wide projects which can benefit multiple Japanese language programs are welcome; however JFLA encourages the following types of projects.
- Projects which can bridge Japanese language education and Japan Studies.
- Advocacy projects to increase the visibility of Japanese-language education in a wide region.
- Articulation projects for improving vertical articulation between different educational levels as well as horizontal articulation within the same educational level, in order to maximize students' learning environment in multiple Japanese programs in a wide region.
- Survey/Research projects that will be conducted in order to grasp/analyze the current condition of Japanese-language education or to gather demographic information related to Japanese-language education.
- Teaching Material Development projects that will benefit educators/learners nationwide.
Type A:
(1) Expenses for inviting lecturer(s) (honorarium, accommodation, travel expense)
(2) Expenses for Venue (venue and equipment rental fees, etc.)
(3) Production costs for handouts/flyers/proceedings
(4) Participants’ professional development credit application fees (university credits, continuing education units, etc.)
Type B:
The eligible items for support will vary depending on the type of projects. Please consult with JFLA about what kinds of items you will need financial support for.
NOTE: The following expenses are NOT eligible for support:
- Indirect costs (administrative costs) not related to the grant project,
- Expenses for any food or drinks,
- Office supplies, PC, copy machine, any other electric appliances, furniture such as desks, chairs, etc.,
- Regular operating costs of the Japanese-language courses and salaries of current teaching staff,
- Business meetings (general meetings, board meetings, etc.) that are held regularly by the applicants,
- Cost of buying real estate and cost of construction work,
- Rental fee for halls owned by the applying organization/institution or group,
- Banquet costs and entertainment costs,
- Airfare exceeding the estimated fare for the shortest route from the city of origin to the destination flying economy class.
Step 1. Please inform JFLA (Email: language@jflalc.org) of your intention to apply for the program.
Step 2. Download the application materials.
Application Forms
Type A: Workshop/Seminar/Conference
Type B: Original Project
Step 3. Please submit your completed application form by mail or email. Your application form (either original or digital copies) must be submitted to JFLA on or before the deadline.
[Application Deadline] Two months prior to the project start date
[Workshop, Conference, Seminar, etc.]
| Grantee | Project |
| California Association of Japanese Language Teachers (CAJLT) | CAJLT Workshop Series (via Zoom) |
| Colorado Japanese Language Education Association (CJLEA) | CJLEA Workshop (via Zoom) |
| DePaul University | Symposium (via Zoom) |
| Japanese Teachers Association of Texas (JTAT) | JTAT Workshops (via Zoom) and Advocacy |
| Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese (NECTJ) | NECTJ Professional Development Workshop/Conference Series |
| Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese (OATJ) | OATJ Professional Development Workshop Series |
| Washington Association of Teachers of Japanese (WATJ) | WATJ Annual Conference |
[Other Original Projects] (Development of Teaching Materials, Research Project, etc.)
| Grantee | Project |
| Baylor University | Teaching Material Development on "Humans of Minamisanriku" and Digital Archive Project |
| Columbia University | A Practical Guide for Scholarly Reading in Japanese |
| Lehman College | CCI-2020 Project: CUNY-wide Collaboration and Innovation for the New Digital Era of Japanese Langauge Education |
| Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese (MAATJ) | MAATJ Advocacy Project |
| Middlebury College |
MA in Japanese Language and Culture |
| University of Michigan |
Development of Elementary Japanese Textbooksとびら初級I &とびら初級II |