Impact
C E L E B R A T I N G
Connection
Yoko Takagi Retires After 25 Years of Building Global Connections through iEARN Japan
FromtheDirector A Note
Dear Friends,
Fall is upon and another school year in the U.S. is underway. This is always an exciting time for us as we launch new virtual projects and partnerships, send our students abroad to learn critical languages, and welcome students to the U.S. for their cultural exchange programs. This year, we’re expanding our Compañeros de Clases Globales program and welcoming classrooms in Mexico to the program. We’ve also launched a new Public Health program, in partnership with the University of Memphis. This is the first public health program developed for high school students! Through our many programs and projects, iEARN students are learning about culture and life in places far from their homes, learning and practicing world languages, and exploring challenges impacting our communities and what it means to be a global citizen. But at the heart of all our programs are personal connections.
We can all read books, newspapers, and online resources to learn about the world, but not everyone has opportunities to meet, talk and learn with others around the globe. To engage in authentic, meaningful conversations with peers from another country provides an opportunity for deeper understanding and lasting connections. This week, I had a chance to visit some of our classrooms and talk with our students. It’s incredible to see students’ faces light up and their body language change during an online session with students in another country. Suddenly, the students are laughing, asking questions and sharing information about life here in the U.S. Even the most quiet students were engaged and excited to share and learn.
In this edition of our newsletter, you’ll read stories about the bonds that are formed between a host family and their exchange student and the connections between educators who have developed and implemented iEARN projects. Through iEARN, I’ve met many wonderful people… students, educators, country coordinators…and have formed connections that I will carry with me long into the future. Each friendship has enriched my life and has opened up my mind and heart and challenged me to view the world differently and to better understand my individual responsibility to our world and the people in it. That is my wish for every iEARN student, that they form meaningful friendships that help them see the world through a new lens!
In gratitude,
Stefanie
Stefanie Ortiz-Cidlik Executive Director iEARN United States
Stefanie, with Carolina Salazar from IdeaRed and Nuria de la Ruiz with iEARN-Mexico, who are partnering with iEARN-USA on our Compañeros de Clase Globales project. Pictured here at our workshop, Profesores de Clase Globales, in Antigua, Guatemala.
A Host Father's Perspective on the Power of International Student Exchange CreatingConnections:
When John, Amanda, and the Ruby family welcomed Shajan, a high school exchange student from Pakistan, into their home, they knew they were signing up for a unique cultural experience. What they didn’t anticipate was the deep, lifelong bond that would form between them. John describes the relationship as much more than a host family arrangement—Shajan became a son, and the impact of their year together continues to resonate today.
Shajan, a bright and humble young man, came from a modest background. John recounts how Shajan often shared stories and videos of his home, a village where he slept on the floor, revealing a level of hardship that John’s own children could hardly imagine. Despite these differences, Shajan’s warmth and work ethic bridged the cultural divide. “He’s probably the greatest person I’ve ever met,” John said, highlighting how Shajan was always eager to learn and contribute, despite the challenges he had faced.
For the Ruby family, hosting Shajan was not only an opportunity to give but also to receive. They were enriched by his presence, his perspective, and his spirit.
John and Amanda's oldest son, who was close in age to Shajan, developed a friendship with him, and the two became almost inseparable.
Shajan's attitude and work ethic also stood out to John, especially because he had also grown up in a family that had
financial challenges. "We had so many conversations that I couldn’t have with my own kids because they don’t understand what it’s like to go without," John explained.
One of the key benefits of international exchange programs like the one that brought Shajan to the Ruby family is their ability to foster mutual understanding between cultures. John witnessed this firsthand as Shajan shared stories of his life in Pakistan with John's family and local community.
Whether it was showing videos of his village or talking to students at school about his culture, Shajan helped open minds and challenge stereotypes. “Everybody was affected by Shajan’s great attitude about life in general,” John noted, adding that his son’s classmates still talk about the impact Shajan made on them.
Beyond the cultural lessons, John believes the experience had a profound impact on his children, teaching them humility and giving them a deeper appreciation for their own lives. “They don’t always listen to my stories about life, but when they hear it from someone their age, it kind of sinks in,” John said, noting that Shajan’s presence helped his children gain perspective in ways he couldn’t provide on his own.
One of the most remarkable aspects of John and Shajan’s relationship is that it didn’t end when Shajan returned to Pakistan. They remain in close contact, speaking almost daily through text or FaceTime. Shajan is now preparing for medical school, and John continues to support him from afar, ensuring he stays focused on his studies while also taking care of himself. “I would go get him if something happened to him,” John says with a fatherly tone, underscoring the depth of their bond.
John’s experience with Shajan highlights both the transformative potential of international exchange programs and the importance of finding the right fit. John admits that their first experience with a different exchange student was not as positive, but in Shajan, they found someone who connected with them deeply. “You can’t make a person like him; he’s just a good human being,” John said.
Ultimately, the bond between the Ruby family and Shajan is a testament to the power of human connection, regardless of cultural or geographic differences. Through living together, learning from each other, and continuing to support one another, they’ve become much more than host family and student — they’ve become family. For John, this experience was everything the program sets out to achieve: building international relationships, fostering understanding, and changing lives on both sides.
YokoTakagiRetiresAfter 25YearswithiEARNJapan
Yoko Takagi, who is retiring after 25 years of service with iEARN Japan, has built numerous meaningful connections throughout her journey. These connections have shaped not only her career but also the lives of countless students and educators across the globe. Yoko’s initial encounter with iEARN in 1996 at a conference in Budapest, Hungary, was a turning point. This event inspired her to start iEARN Japan in 1998, and five years later, she hosted the iEARN Conference and Youth Summit on Awaji Island, a monumental event that brought together participants from 55 countries and more than 1,000 attendees.
Among the most impactful connections
Yoko has made are two key figures: Peter Koppen and Ed Grigert. Peter Koppen, through his foundation, connected schools in Moscow and New York, while Ed Grigert, a former president of iEARN USA, was instrumental in helping Yoko launch iEARN Japan. Yoko fondly recalls asking Ed to visit Japan to introduce iEARN to Japanese educators, a visit that significantly boosted the program's early success. Yoko describes both Peter and Ed as central figures in her journey, expressing deep gratitude for their guidance and support.
Christine and Enid helped launch Machinto Latina, connecting Spanishspeaking countries with Japanese and English-speaking students. This project enabled students across cultures to engage with sensitive topics like war and peace through video projects, one of which was led by a teacher named Akamatsu from southern Japan. Her students created ten unique videos addressing conflicts and resolutions, a project that Yoko found particularly inspiring.
These relationships have not only enriched Yoko's work but also shaped the global collaborations that iEARN Japan has become known for. Reflecting on her career, Yoko acknowledges that her childhood experiences during wartime deeply influenced her commitment to fostering peace and connection through education. These personal experiences, combined with the relationships she built through iEARN, motivated her to create opportunities for students to learn with the world, rather than just about it.
Yoko emphasizes that iEARN’s global network allows teachers and students to step outside their traditional classrooms and engage with peers from around the world. She highlights the importance of opening classrooms to global learning, encouraging Japanese teachers to embrace iEARN programs for the benefit of their students.
As she reflects on her career and the meaningful connections she’s made, Yoko hopes that iEARN’s mission of fostering international understanding and collaboration will continue to grow. Looking ahead to her retirement, Yoko expresses gratitude for the many relationships she has built and the impact she has made, while hoping to attend one last iEARN conference. Although the pandemic halted in-person events, Yoko still values the connections made through virtual exchanges, noting that they remain crucial in today’s world.
With retirement on the horizon, Yoko is looking forward to a slower pace of life, but her legacy of building meaningful connections across borders will continue to inspire educators and students in Japan and beyond.
There are no country lines…just human beings. Whatever differences we have, we enjoy.
Yoko Takagi
Congratulations onyour retirement,Yoko!
ProgramUpdates
2023–2024 Academic Year Programs
NSLI-Y scholars who spent the academic year in South Korea and Taiwan returned home in May. After returning to the United States, students attend Re-Entry Orientation in Washington, D.C., where they discussed readjusting back into their home communities and future language learning opportunities, visited the State Department, and shared their NSLI-Y experiences on Capitol Hill. Sasha Zhang, a participant in the 2023–2024 Mandarin Academic Year program in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was one of the student presenters at the State Department. Check out her NSLI-Y reflection here on NSLI-Y Interactive.
2024 Summer Programs
NSLI-Y had a busy summer with 88 NSLI-Y scholars participating across iEARN-USA’s programs in Morocco, South Korea, and Taiwan. All of the students made tremendous language progress! One of our students studying Arabic in Morocco shared:
“The first time I truly felt the improvement in my Arabic skills was in the second or third week. I had gotten into a taxi and, like usual, the friendly driver turned around to make conversation with me. I was prepared to give my usual answer of not knowing much Arabic, but I found myself able to understand him mostly and was able to answer back. Though I didn't give perfect answers and didn't fully comprehend him, I was able to piece together most of the conversation using context clues. At that moment, I felt proud of how far I had come in just a few weeks, from not knowing any Arabic to being able to have basic conversations with locals.”
Some of the many highlights of the summer programs include cultural classes, such as taekwondo class in Korea (pictured below), traditional wreath-making class on Taiwan at a secondary school that supports the cultural preservation of its Indigenous Taiwanese student body, and tajine cooking class in Morocco. Another summer highlight was students bonding with their language partners, from whom they learned about local culture, practiced their target language, and participated in fun activities together, such as playing volleyball in Morocco (pictured below).
Coming Up
The next cohort of academic year students have departed. Check out NSLIY Interactive for more stories from students and alumni.
Applications are now open for the 2025–2026 NSLI-Y summer and academic year programs! NSLI-Y is offering programs for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish. To find more information and the application, go to the NSLI-Y program website. The deadline to apply for 2025–2026 summer and academic year programs is November 4 at 4 PM ET.
OntheMove
Lunch with NSLI-Y Korea Local Coordinator, Soomin Kim and Resident Director, Jenny Yoon Youth Programs
Division Director, U.S. Dept. of State, Britta Bjornlund and iEARN-USA Executive Director, Stefanie Ortiz-Cidlik
NSLI-Y students with their resident director preparing to depart San Francisco for our 2024-2025 Academic Year program in South Korea where they will study Korean.
Stefanie, in Washington, DC with a group of NSLI-Y students We are on Capitol Hill to meet with elected officials and share student experiences on the NSLI-Y program.
Principal for a Day at the High School of Global Studies in Newark, NJ. Pictured with Adriana Arraya, Student Teacher for a Day, and Principal Nelson Ruiz.
Stefanie, with the Ed Team in Antigua, Guatemala, where we trained and prepared teachers from the U.S., Guatemala, and Mexico to implement our Compañeros de Clase Globales program From left to right: Hannah Barrentine, Christen Maguire, Stefanie, Nicole Weitzner, Melissa Rowker, and Jimmy Sherrill
Dinner with our YES country partners in Washington, DC From left to right: Leroy Beldeh (Liberia), Francois Donfack (Cameroon), Mohamadou Lamine Bagayoko (Mali), Nawab Wasi Mahmud (Bangladesh), Dave Abeleven (Suriname), Ligaya Beebe (Sr. Grants Manager, iEARN-USA), Oisakhose Aghomo (Program Coordinator, iEARN-USA), Farah Kamal (Pakistan), Jane Peters (Sierra Leone), and Stefanie.
(left) NSLI-Y students with their resident director preparing to depart San Francisco for our 2024-2025 Academic Year program in Taiwan where they will study Mandarin Chinese
WILLYOUSUPPORTUS?
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iEARN believes in that world and is striving to build it. By leveraging technology to create a global virtual hub, we are connecting young people and classrooms across the world to remove socioeconomic and cultural barriers, while educating the changemakers of tomorrow. We couldn’t do the work we do without the help of generous people like you.
