The new ETAs of the 2023-24 cohort were welcomed into Indonesia late at night on August 20, arriving with great anticipation. In Jakarta, they had a few meetings with US Foreign Service Officers the subsequent morning, giving them a security briefing and providing Citizen Services resources. They had the privilege of dining with US Ambassador Sung Kim at his residence for lunch. He offered some wisdom as he asked reflective questions for the ETAs, prompting a robust lunch conversation enriching the ETA’s understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
ETAs visited the AMINEF office the next day, meeting all the dedicated individuals overseeing this Fulbright Commission in Indonesia. This meeting allowed ETAs to establish connections and gain insights into the administrative aspects of the Fulbright program. There, they also met with select government officials from Indonesia who entertained a question-and-answer panel session from the ETAs.
The following day, the ETAs traveled to Yogyakarta, recognized as the cultural heart of Java. There, they immersed themselves in a multifaceted educational experience encompassing Indonesian language instruction, teaching pedagogy, and an exploration of Indonesian culture. Topics spanned from lesson planning, cross-cultural understandings, Indonesian history, physical and mental health, team teaching, and the educational system in Indonesia. Distinguished guest speakers such as Dr. Itje Chodidjah, the executive chair of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, Dr. Achmad Munjid from Gadjah Mada University, Dr. Izak Lattu from Satya Wacana Christian University, Sakdiyah Ma’ruf, and Dr. Baskara T. Wardaya from Sanata Dharma University enriched the orientation with their expertise, offering perspectives on religion and history in Indonesia.
This year’s comprehensive orientation program also featured three distinctive educational excursions. First, the ETAs ventured to a rural village outside of Yogyakarta, immersing themselves in the daily lives of rural Indonesians. They actively participate in traditional agricultural practices such as field plowing and planting rice. The cultural engagement continued as they enjoyed playing gamelan, a traditional Javanese ensemble of musical instruments, and making crafts out of coconut leaves.
Later, during orientation, ETAs visited another village to learn the art and history of batik, a cherished element of Indonesian culture. They also had the chance to make their batik designs, deepening their appreciation for this revered art form. Their last trip was an Interfaith tour, where ETAs visited places of worship from the many religious denominations practiced in Java.
During the final week of orientation, the ETAs were introduced to their co-teachers in Yogyakarta, marking a pivotal phase of their preparation. This last week consisted of joint sessions where ETAs and their co-teachers collaborated to establish clear expectations, discover potential extracurricular projects, and practice team teaching. The orientation concluded with a mock teaching activity, allowing teaching pairs to meticulously plan and present a lesson together in a monitored environment, allowing them to develop their co-teaching relationship and address challenges. After orientation, ETAs and their co-teacher reported a sense of excitement and preparedness for the grant year ahead.
