JOEE to Japan - English for At-Risk Children

The JOEE project launched in April of 2019 and we have been hopping along and providing fun and lively, puppet-enhanced English lessons to children in orphanages in Japan ever since! Your continuing support makes those lessons possible. Our volunteer teachers reach children in six facilities across Japan and lessons are being taught to children in Ukraine, where the war continues to put families at risk. All children deserve a hopeful and bright future. JOEE works to bring education and joy to the children of the world. 

We keep hopping and hoping to do more. As we grow and expand into new orphanages, our organization grows as well. We have welcomed another part-time administrator into JOEE and we are continuing to train new teachers and reach out to more orphanages. After a brief summer break, JOEE lessons are starting up once more and we hope to soon fill in some needed volunteer teacher spots at a couple of care facilities in Tokyo.

JOEE currently has teacher-volunteers giving lessons at the following care faciilities in Japan:

St. Francisco Children's Home, Chofu Gakuen, Harukaen, Yurikagoen, Shinai Children's Home and WakamatsuRyo. We have seventeen active JOEE teachers and we are in the process of providing training to more volunteers.

Here is what caregivers observing JOEE lessons have to say:

“The English class is well-organized to have both quiet and active learning.”

“Even after returning to their rooms, there were children who wanted to use the words they learned.”

“The personality of (the teacher) Ruth, the theatrical expression, and the ability to observe, receive and return children’s reactions are very professional.”

“I noticed the children’s expressions. There was a desire to learn, and a desire to connect with people.”

Here is what we hope for the future: To connect with more chiildren's homes -- To train new volunteer teachers from around the world -- To find government and corporate funding and sponsorship -- To be able to reimburse the travel expenses of our volunteer teachers and buy more teaching supplies.

Thank you very much for being a JOEE sponsor and helping to spread some joy in this world!

Links:

• JOEE Website
• JOEE Mini-Documentary
• JOEE Instagram