The American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) has brought the brightest and the best young Americans to help English teaching in various provinces of Indonesia.

Since 2004, through the Fulbright English Teaching

Assistant Program, AMINEF has awarded grants to American college graduates in order to assist Indonesian, English teachers in the classroom. The program, which is funded by US Department of State, started with only 5 ETAs and has since grown.

This year, AMINEF has selected 35 ETAs to assist English teachers in public, private and Islamic senior high schools in 10 provinces throughout Indonesia.

They were selected through a rigorous screening process. Each new grantee is credited with an exceptional academic background and has engaged with meaningful social and international causes.

From September 1st to September 14th, the ETAs participated in an in-country orientation held in Bandung, West Java. This orientation was designed to equip ETAs with the practical, cultural, and language skills necessary to thrive at their sites.

Top officials from the Indonesian US Embassy were in attendance to welcome the ETA grantees through presentations and a special luncheon.

Upon the completion of orientation, the ETAs departed for their various site placements—i.e., North Sumatera, Riau, Central Kalimantan, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and East Nusa Tenggara—to begin their journeys and help Indonesian teachers and students improve English, language learning.

ETA grantees’ presence in the classroom is expect to boost Indonesian students’ motivation to learn English.

Additionally, ETA grantees are encouraged to immerse themselves in their respective, Indonesian communities as a way to positively engage with Indonesian culture while also initiating mutual understanding between Indonesians and Americans alike.