JET Pre-Departure Orientation and Sendoff Reception

On July 26, 2019, the 33rd annual Pre-Departure Orientation and Sendoff Reception was held at the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle  for this year’s 50 new JET participants.
 

Pre-Departure Orientation

Japanese lesson at the orientation

The Pre-Departure Orientation included departure instructions, a Japanese lesson and a lecture on English education in Japan.
 At the following Sendoff Reception, local education stakeholders, community members, business stakeholders, and Pacific Northwest JET Alumni Association (PNWJETAA) members attended and celebrated the new JET participants’ departure.
 

Consul General Yamada

New JET Participants

This year, 45 JETs are assigned to ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) positions and 5 JETs to CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) positions.

Consul General Yamada congratulated the new JETs and encouraged them, stating, “You may feel lonely at times in Japan, but we hope you will contribute to the promotion of the Japan-US relationship at the grassroots level as cultural ambassadors.”
 

Gathering at the reception	Gathering at the reception
Speech by the JET representative	Kanpai by the PNWJETAA Vice President

In addition, Alina Grishko gave a speech on behalf of the new JETs, saying, “Let’s not forget to always challenge ourselves and do our best.” Lastly, Michelle Kato, Vice President of PNWJETAA gave a toast, stating, “Once you are JETs, you will always be JETs. We hope you will contribute to grassroots exchange between the US and Japan through the JET Program.”