Looking for alumni to volunteer as panelists at a Lessons From Abroad event!

JETAA Chicago was contacted by DePaul University seeking help from our alumni in engaging with returning study abroad participants from around the Chicagoland area. 

We have the details for the opportunity below. If you are interested, please contact Katherine at kkozlik@depaul.edu before January 9th 2025 and she will provide the full details. Katherine is only looking for a few alumni, so be sure to follow-up with her quickly!

Thank you for considering joining DePaul in this effort. Working with local universities to promote and encourage experiences abroad post-grad, like JET, is one of our community's primary goals, and we hope we will be able to support this conference!

Thank you for your time!

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Lessons From Abroad

Date: February 1, 2025

Time: 9:30 am – 3:30 pm CT

Place: DePaul University, LPC Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Avenue, 3rd Floor, Chicago IL 60614

Lessons From Abroad is a small non-profit organization in the Chicago area dedicated to facilitating the re-entry process for returning study abroad students across the Midwest region.

You are invited to participate as a Presenter/Panelist during a special session at the conference, speaking particularly on the topic of this year’s LFA Theme: Global Experience, Lifelong Engagement: Nurturing Mutual Understanding for a Better World.

As you know, Study abroad experiences often act as a catalyst for lifelong engagement with global issues both locally and abroad. It emphasizes the lasting impact of international experiences on fostering a deep curiosity about diverse cultures and perspectives, while inspiring a continuous commitment to advocating for mutual understanding, social justice, and positive global change. The theme encourages students to reflect on how their journeys abroad have shaped their views and to explore ways they can advocate for a more interconnected and compassionate world.

We would be delighted for a JET to join us for this conference and help returned study abroad students learn, grow and develop, even after their education abroad programs have concluded.

Students are invited from multiple institutions and in the past, LFA has hosted between 90-120 attendees from the Midwest, from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin from various institutions like Northwestern University, DePaul University, Valparaiso University, University of Wisconsin, Michigan Gateway Technical University, North Central College and more!

The JETAA Chicago and Japan America Society of Chicago YPC continue the Anime & Art Club with a meeting in January!

Join us on Tuesday, January 14th, 6 pm CST for the next meeting of the JETAA Chicago and Japan America Society of Chicago YPC Anime & Art Appreciation Society! Our club will be discussing various individual anime series. For our next meeting, we have chosen episodes 1-4 of Dandadan!, based on the manga by Yukinobu Tatsu. Momo Ayase, a high school student obsessed with actor Ken Takakura, befriends a nerdy boy she nicknames Okarun (instead of his actual name, Ken Takakura) who mistakes her kindness for a shared obsession with paranormal phenomena; while she believes in spirits, he believes in aliens, and they send each other to notorious places to prove their respective interests.

Be sure to view the anime in advance (available on Netflix) and join us for an evening of casual discussion in a virtual space via Zoom! Registrations are limited, so grab a spot while you can!

Sign up here!

Questions? Contact Joe at networking@jetaachicago.com

This event is open to JET alumni, JASC YPC members and friends.

Learn Japanese with Maplopo!

Maplopo is the only immersive, synchronous AND asynchronous program specifically designed to help learners internalize the Japanese language through the power of story. Over the span of 10 weeks, we provide learners with the knowledge, structure, and accountability needed to break through learning ceilings so they can close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Participants gain access to the language on a deeper level and learn how to use these skills through hands-on work and training from top instructors and professionals both inside and outside Japan. 

Learn about Maplopo's special JET-only session here! The registration for 2025 has already closed, but will open again in January 2026!