Toyota Sends 50 U.S. High School Teachers on a Trip-of-a-Lifetime

TORRANCE, Calif., May 28 -- This June, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is taking 50 of the country's finest high school teachers on an all-expenses-paid educational study program to Japan as part of the Toyota International Teacher Program. Don't mistake the trip for summer vacation or a professional boondoggle; it's a rigorous summer session administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C., the nation's largest nonprofit education exchange organization. The program, funded through an annual $600,000 grant from TMS, is designed to expose the educators to global issues shared by industrialized nations. It entails travel from bustling Tokyo to the remote Iya Valley, lectures from noted Japanese authorities as well as museum, factory, school, embassy and temple visits. This unique, two-week immersion (June 20-July 5) provides participants with first-hand experiences that they will share with their U.S. classrooms upon their return.

"The need for true global understanding and awareness has never been more important than it is today," said James E. Press, TMS executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Toyota is proud to support America's teachers by giving them first-hand exposure to Japan. We know that this type of experience has the power to broaden horizons, both in our schools and in our communities."

Now in its fourth year, the Toyota International Teacher Program has touched the lives of countless young Americans, providing life-enriching insight into another culture. "Toyota Motor Sales and the Institute of International Education recognize that our nation's educators are poised to disseminate a message of tolerance and understanding throughout our schools," said Leslie Anderson of IIE. Teacher Nina Vehslage of Brownstown, Indiana and a 2001 program participant seconded the sentiment: "We must continue to develop communication and friendship between our countries. As we do this, we will begin to see how alike we are and not how different we are."

After an orientation at TMS headquarters in Torrance, California, the teachers depart for Kyoto, Japan's historical capital and home of numerous temples and traditional Japanese gardens. Alex Kerr, author/artist and the first American to receive Japan's prestigious Shincho Literary Prize, will greet the participants and serve as their consultant throughout the sojourn. A visit to Kerr's Chiiori Project, a traditional, thatched-roof farmhouse in Iya Valley, promises to be one of the trip's highlights. The teachers' rigorous schedule also includes stops in Hiroshima, Naoshima, Nagoya, Toyota City and Tokyo.

Four themes -- history, education, environment and technology -- and how these affect industry and society inform the program's agenda. To illustrate these themes, the teachers will tour cultural destinations such as Kanamaruza, Japan's oldest Kabuki playhouse, artist Isamu Noguchi's studio, the Peace Park and museum in Hiroshima and Tokyo's renowned and lively Tsukiji fish market, to name just a few. The group will spend time in Japanese primary, secondary and technology schools and will tour a Toyota plant where the company's hybrid gas/electric Prius is manufactured. Along the Tokyo Bay and waterfront, the teachers will observe the impact of development on the environment and learn about land reclamation projects. Finally, the teachers will enjoy a dinner in the home of a Japanese family and special Fourth of July feast with traditional Japanese performers.

Extensive and varied, the program's activities are designed to address three goals: (1) provide a professional development opportunity to build global skills and perspectives, (2) facilitate the flow of knowledge and ideas to address international issues in the classroom and enhance high school curriculum and (3) promote understanding of history, values and educational systems in Japan and America.

Currently the program is open to educators in seven states where Toyota operates major manufacturing, design and research facilities: Alabama, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and West Virginia. To be eligible, teachers must (1) be a U.S. citizen, (2) be employed full-time as a secondary (grades 9-12) classroom teacher and (3) have a minimum three years teaching experience. Participants are selected through a competitive, merit-based process. Applications are individually and jointly reviewed in Washington, D.C. by an IIE-organized review panel, with relative merit determined by each applicant's overall professional qualifications, motivation for participating in the program and evidence of leadership skills. Potential long-term impact is also a key consideration. Through their proposals, teachers must develop a realistic plan to apply their experiences and global perspectives in the classroom and with colleagues upon returning to the U.S.

"Academic and professional exchange is a critical means for transferring knowledge and skills across borders and preparing a new generation of global citizens," explains Allan Goodman, IIE president. "The Toyota International Teacher Program will inform our country's future leaders about global issues at an early stage through the people who serve as their guides and mentors: their teachers."

About Toyota's Education Programs

In addition to sponsoring a number of nonprofit educational organizations, Toyota offers four major programs that support teachers with grants and students with scholarships: TAPESTRY for K-12 science teachers; TIME for K-12 math teachers; the Toyota International Teacher Program, a two-week study-abroad program in Japan for 50 high school teachers; and Toyota Community Scholars, providing 100 scholarships to high school seniors based on academics and community service. In 2001, Toyota USA contributed nearly $28 million to U.S. charities, with 63% funding education. For more information about Toyota education programs, visit www.toyota.com/about or call Rhonda Glasscock at 310.468.4119.

About the Institute of International Education

Founded in 1919, IIE is the largest and oldest international exchange organization in the United States. It is a private, not-for profit organization, committed to leadership development and services for the education, cultural and training sectors. By enabling more than 18,000 outstanding men and women each year to study, conduct research, receive practical training, or provide technical assistance outside their own countries, IIE fosters mutual understanding, builds global problem-solving capabilities, and strengthens the international competence of U.S. citizens. For more information about IIE, see the website at www.iie.org , or contact Leslie Anderson at landerson@iie.org.

A list of teacher participants and a 2002 program itinerary can be found at www.toyota.com/4teachers . Select photos will be made available during the teachers' sojourn in Japan and additional photos will be available upon their return from Japan in July. Please contact Caitlin Dowe-Sandes at 310.772.0055 x235 with requests.