September 2024 Edition

Welcome, Selamat Datang, to the first edition of the Fulbright ETA Monthly Highlights from the 2024-25 cohort! Ten new English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) from the United States arrived in Indonesia on August 5, 2024, marking the commencement of their transformative journey. Each year, the ETAs’ arrival signifies a special moment for AMINEF, highlighting our continued mission of cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Following their arrival and a brief acclimatization in Jakarta, which included meetings with the AMINEF team and a distinguished dinner with the US Ambassador, these ETAs traveled to their teaching sites. The ETAs spent one week at their sites before converging in Yogyakarta for an intensive 2.5-week orientation program, immersing themselves in language acquisition, teaching methodologies, and an exploration of Indonesian culture. Their local Indonesian counterparts also joined them.

Upon successfully completing the intensive orientation, the ETAs and their counterparts began the next phase of their journey, returning to their respective sites on September 1, 2024. This year, our ETAs will be teaching in public (Sekolah Menengah Atas, SMA) and vocational (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan, SMK) high schools across North Sumatra, Belitung, West Kalimantan, Lampung, North Sulawesi, Riau, Central Java, and Bengkulu. Already, they have been making an impact and have some captivating stories to share about their engagement!

The Fulbright ETA Program, a well-regarded initiative funded by the US Department of State and carried out in numerous countries worldwide, positions recent college graduates and young professionals as English Teaching Assistants in primary and secondary schools or universities overseas. This program serves the dual purpose of enhancing the English language proficiency and knowledge of the US for international students while also elevating language skills and deepening the understanding of the host countries among the US participants. In Indonesia, the Fulbright ETAs are placed in high schools, where they assist local English teachers. This enduring program, spanning 20 years, has left an incredible mark on countless Indonesian students and their communities across the sprawling archipelago.

AMINEF, in charge of the Fulbright program in Indonesia since 1992, collaborates closely with the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology to administer the ETA program in Indonesia.

The Fulbright ETA Monthly Highlights serves as a unique platform for our ETAs to reflect upon and share their memorable experiences throughout their grant tenure. In this inaugural September edition, the ETAs will detail their first month at their respective sites in Indonesia. Join us in reading their stories about first impressions, classroom activities, and extracurricular engagements as they navigate their Fulbright experience and leave an enduring legacy of cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

AMINEF American Program and Communications Teams

We would love to receive your feedback.

Please share your favorite stories with us, including those you found interesting, your preferred teaching methods, or activities you’d like to learn more about. You can email us at communications@aminef.or.id. We’ll feature your feedback in our upcoming highlights, and you might even have a chance to win a special thank-you gift from us.