The Japan Society of Northern California is pleased to support a symposium on Japanese Language Education co-hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District and the Asian Art Museum on Saturday, February 18^th, 2012 at the Asian Art Museum.
 Featuring Mr. Yo Azama, 2012 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year, the first Japanese teacher ever to win this prestigious award! Azama-sensei will deliver the keynote speech followed by a panel where key stakeholders will discuss how to maintain and grow language programs in these difficult economic times. Concluding with a reception and special interest sessions, the day will benefit administrators, teachers, parents, students and the community.
This symposium will demonstrate the importance and benefits of learning Japanese to prepare our students for the 21^st century. We will examine the current state of Japanese language education in the Bay Area, both successes and challenges. The goals of the symposium are to strengthen the institutional frameworks and networks among stakeholders and to promote Japanese language and cultural education in the Bay Area.
Panelists:
Mr. Yo Azama (Japanese Language Teacher,  North Salinas High School)
Mr. Barnaby Payne (Principal, Abraham Lincoln High School)
Dr. Midori McKeon (Professor and Coordinator, Japanese Program at San Francisco State University)
Ms. Hydra Mendoza (President,  Board of Education, San Francisco Unified School District)
Location:
Asian Art Museum
Samsung Hall
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Date & Time:
Saturday, February 18, 2012
12:30 pm Registration
1:00-4:00 pm Program

Cost:
Registration and admission is free and open to the public. The Asian Art Museum will waive their regular admission fee for symposium participants. Please check in at the symposium registration table inside the Museum lobby.

To register, send your name, organization, email and phone number to education@cgjsf.org.
The deadline to RSVP for this event is Thursday, February 9, 2012.

For any inquiries, please contact Hisako Takahashi at education@cgjsf.org or 415-356-2461, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
This event is co-hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District and the Asian Art Museum and supported by the Japan Foundation Los Angeles Office.