Student Meetings
An effective and efficient way of maintaining the momentum is to have a regular series of student meetings. Meetings should be held on a specific day(s) of the month, and attendance should be mandatory. The following topics should be discussed:
- fundraising
- travel and itinerary updates (itinerary and handouts to be kept in a binder by each student)
- passport and visas (to be obtained well in advance)
- gifts to take and bring home
- travel tips
- currency exchange
- rules of conduct
- dress code
- packing tips
- orientation schedule
- journals (students should write daily journals while in Japan)
- hotel information
- spending money
- insurance
- electonic devices
- airport procedures
One regular meeting per month should be set aside for orientation, and parents should be encouraged to attend. The workshops should cover such topics as:
- introductory Japanese language
- Japanese cultural norms
- history, religion and geography
- gender roles
- foods and good etiquette
- bathing
- transportation
- shopping
- home stay expections (if arranged)
- Japanese school system