Hey there Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Okinawa JETs!

The National AJET Council is now recruiting members for the 2016-2017 JET year. The application deadline is Monday, March 28, and Block 11 (our block) currently has no applicants for the Block 11 Representative. So, National AJET has reached out to MAJET for some recruiting help. 😉

What is National 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; at the national level, it is headed by the AJET National Council, a body of twenty elected and appointed current JETs from across Japan.

For more information about National AJET, please check out their website.

What does an AJET Block Representative do?

According to National AJET, a block representative would be responsible for the following:

• Raising issues experienced by, or feedback from, JETs within their Block to the National AJET council
• Sitting on the National AJET council and vote on policy and decisions that affect JETs across the country
• Ensuring that these topics are voiced at AJET’s bi-annual Opinion Exchanges with the JET programme sponsors
• Supporting local JETs  and JET groups with their projects by using National AJET expertise, resources and communications channels
• Passing on information about useful AJET resources to JETs within their Block (such as the nationwide “Tatami Timeshare” programme
• Throwing great parties and laying on events in their Block to help JETs widen their social circle and, most importantly, make the most out of their JET experience!

What a great way to help make a difference not only for JETs in your community, but JETs all over Japan as well!

What has National AJET accomplished in the past?

National AJET has amassed a great deal of accomplishments since their inception at the beginning of the JET Programme:

• Banning smoking in staff rooms
• Extending the JET contract from 3 to 5 years
• The development of ALT teaching resources such as Planet Eigo, Foxy Phonics, and Team-Taught Pizza.
• The publication of AJET Connect magazine.
• The organization of various JET Special Interest groups, the Peer Support Group, and Tatami Timeshare.
• Hosting a variety of conferences for each stage of JET (incoming, renewing, departing, post-JET).
• Hosting Block and Inter-Block events, bringing JETs together from around the country

…and much, much more! You can see a full list of each National AJET Council’s accomplishments here.

What should I do if I’m thinking about applying?

National AJET is a huge commitment–even larger than Prefectural AJET groups such as MAJET. You will not only be responsible for planning events for your block (in our case, this includes collaborating with 4 prefectures), but also for participating in National AJET meetings throughout the year, either online or possibly in-person, depending on what the new Council decides. Please read National AJET’s Advice for Candidates thoroughly before submitting an application.

If National AJET sounds like it would be too big a commitment, but you still want to help make a difference in your local community, MAJET will be starting its own 2016-2017 recruitment, soon. Keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks!

I’ve read all the details, and I’d like to apply to National AJET!

If joining the National AJET Council sounds like something you’d like to do, check out their application rules and guidelines here, and submit your application by 5:00pm on Monday, March 28th!