The Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) has awarded small professional development grants to 21 teachers since the beginning of 2004. Recipients used the funds to attend conferences and enroll in training programs. Funding for small grants has been received from the US-Japan Foundation and from the Association of Teachers of Japanese, allowing this program to continue.

Cheng & Tsui Publishers will award two professional Development Grants of $500 to teachers who are attending the ACTFL Conference for the first time. The awards will be presented in Chicago during the annual meeting of the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers (NCJLT).

Three of the participants in AATJ’s 2004 Summer Language, Culture, and Technology Institute in Japan will present the media-based classroom materials they developed during the Institute at a session during the ACTFL Conference in Chicago. The session, “Media-Based Materials Made in Japan,” will take place on Friday, November 19, at 4:30 p.m. at the Hilton Chicago. The Institute was supported by grants from the US Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program, the Japan Foundation, and the Shoyu Club.

The Alliance received a grant from the Japan-US Friendship Commission that will allow it to pay part-time staff and operate its office, which administratively supports the Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) and the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers (NCJLT). The Alliance gratefully acknowledges the Commission’s continued support.