We are pleased to announce that seventeen new Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) from the United States arrived in Indonesia on September 15, 2025, marking the beginning of their transformative journey. Each year, the ETAs’ arrival marks a special moment for AMINEF, furthering our ongoing mission of promoting cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding. In this article, we share some highlights and an overview of how the ETAs spent their first weeks in Indonesia.
Following their arrival, the ETAs attended a one-day arrival briefing program in Jakarta on September 16, which included presentations led by US Embassy officers, a panel with officials from various ministries of the Indonesian government, and informational sessions from AMINEF, the Fulbright Commission in Indonesia. For dinner, they had the privilege of dining with the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Heather Merritt, at her residence in Jakarta. These activities provided ETAs with the opportunity to establish connections with one another and key stakeholders of the program, as well as gain insight into their roles within schools and communities in Indonesia.
The next day, on September 17, ETAs and AMINEF staff travelled to Yogyakarta for an intensive two-and-a-half-week orientation program. These weeks were spent immersing the ETAs in language acquisition, teaching methodologies, exploring Indonesian culture, and providing briefings on program policies and responsibilities. ETAs stayed in homestays with Yogyakartan families and engaged in language classes and enrichment sessions each day. Topics of sessions spanned cross-cultural understanding, Indonesian history, physical and mental health, educational systems in Indonesia, and much more. Several distinguished guest speakers joined the orientation program to deliver workshops and sessions with their local and international expertise: Dr. Baskara Wardaya, scholar of Sahabat Insan; Gia Raharja, advisor of Saling Jaga; Hafilia Ismanto, managing director of HRI & Associates; Dr. Itje Chodidjah, senior educational training consultant; Dr. Leo Uisetiawan, family physician of the US Peace Corps in Indonesia; Magdalena Rojas Lynch, English Language fellow of the US Regional English Language Office (RELO); Sakdiyah Ma’ruf, founder of Our Voice Comedy for Change; and Tiara Puspita, clinical psychologist of the International Wellbeing Center.
During the final week of this year’s orientation, the ETAs were joined by one representative teacher from each of their schools to participate in joint workshops on pedagogy and team teaching. ETAs and their co-teachers collaborated to establish clear expectations, discover potential extracurricular projects, and practice co-teaching. The orientation concluded with a mock teaching activity, providing teaching pairs with the opportunity to meticulously plan and present a lesson together in a monitored environment, allowing them to develop their co-teaching relationship and address any challenges that may arise.
Orientation also featured two exciting educational excursions. In the first week, the ETAs visited Kebonagung village, where they participated in traditional village activities, including field plowing, rice planting, and batik making, while practicing their new Indonesian language skills. On the first day after the co-teachers’ arrival, ETAs and co-teachers embarked on a tour of Sambisari temple following their introductory ceremony.
Upon the successful completion of the intensive orientation program, the ETAs and their co-teachers began the next phase of their journey, travelling to their respective sites on October 5. This year, our ETAs will be teaching in public (SMA), vocational (SMK), and Islamic (MAN) high schools across Jambi, Padang, Lampung, Central Java, East Java, Central Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara. They have already been making a great impact in their first few weeks at school!
The Fulbright ETA Program, a distinguished initiative funded by the US Department of State and implemented 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 United States for international students, while also elevating the 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 19 years, has left an incredible mark on countless Indonesian students and their communities across the sprawling archipelago.
Since 1992, AMINEF has administered the Fulbright Program in Indonesia. For the 2025 grant year, AMINEF collaborates with the Indonesian Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs to implement the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program.
Keep an eye out for upcoming Fulbright ETA “Monthly Highlights,” a unique platform where ETAs reflect on and share their memorable experiences throughout their grant tenure. In each edition, they will spotlight activities at their respective schools across Indonesia. Join us next month as they share stories of first impressions, classroom moments, and extracurricular collaborations—continuing the Fulbright tradition of cultural exchange and mutual understanding. Explore past editions here: Fulbright ETA Monthly Highlights.
Meet the 2025 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants and learn more about their placements across Indonesia.
