So what is AJET?
AJET (Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching) is a volunteer organisation of JET Programme participants. AJET serves the JET community by building support networks, organizing useful information, and offering resources to enhance the lives of the Programme participants in Japan and abroad.
You can check out what AJET does on a National level by going to the national website.
This is then sub-divided into prefectural groups (such as Niigata AJET), allowing areas to create local events and support platforms with the aim of bringing the prefecture together.
All JET Programme participants in Niigata are Niigata AJET members by default! Don’t worry! There are no annual fees or membership dues associated with your Niigata AJET membership.
Niigata AJET members have access to a wide range of fun events and activites throughout the prefecture.
Examples of our past events: Hanami in Takeda park, strawberry picking, Nagaoka fireworks, camping at the Outlands, Niigata Albirex soccer game, sake cup making, knife making, and many more!
The Niigata AJET Council is responsible for the creation and execution of all the events Niigata AJET members enjoy.
Meet the AJET Council
President: Tory Fortunato
Vice-President: Nisa Sabdarali
Treasurer: Nisa Sabdarali
Social Media Director: Kaily Stanton
Web-Master: Rusty D.
Musical Director: Nikola Neral
Regional Representatives
Kaetsu: Zac Carr
Aga/Gosen: vacant
Niigata City: Alex Mcclimon, Kaily Stanton
Niigata Prefecture: Nisa Sabdarali
Tsubame-Sanjo: vacant
Nagaoka: Kelsey Bozeman
Yukiguni: vacant
Joetsu: Nikola Neral
Myoko: vacant
Itoigawa: Iris Mann
Sado Island: Emily Withers
So what do the AJET Council members do?
Niigata AJET’s council members are the ones responsible for planning all the fun events and activities Niigata AJET members enjoy. They are also responsible for maintaining and updating resources—such as this website—to aid the Niigata AJET community.
The members of Niigata AJET’s council hope to enrich the lives of all Niigata AJET members, build community engagement, and make many great memories together!
Here is a breakdown of all the council member’s roles:
President
The president is responsible for ensuring that the Niigata AJET Council runs smoothly and that meetings are held regularly.
They are responsible for maintaining contact with other Niigata AJET Council members, as well as with other organizations and individuals—including but not limited to prefectural advisors, regional advisors, national AJET groups. They also meet regularly with the treasurer to ensure proper use of funds.
The president is the official spokesperson to the community and, with the assistance of the social media director, is responsible for ensuring that information about events and charity fundraisers being held throughout the prefecture is communicated to all Niigata AJET members.
Vice President
The vice president is responsible for assuming the role of president in the event of a resignation or vacancy for any reason, or in a temporary capacity as otherwise necessary.
The vice president maintains records of all Niigata AJET Council meetings. The vice president is also responsible for collecting and maintaining the records of all events.
Treasurer
The treasurer oversees the Niigata AJET bank account and funds. This includes keeping detailed records of the account and all transactions. The treasurer assists other council members by disbursing money to cover approved expenses and event costs.
Additionally, the treasurer is responsible for selecting and working with the chosen charitable organization to make the Niigata AJET Charity’s annual donation.
Regional Representatives
Regional representatives serve to promote their region throughout the prefecture.
They are responsible for planning and promoting events in their region and assisting as requested with the planning of other events.
Niigata’s AJET Regions include:
- Kaetsu : Shibata, Tainai, Nakajo, Sekikawa, Awashima, Murakami
- Aga-Gosen : Aga, Gosen, Agano
- Niigata City : Prefectorial and Municipal
- Tsubame-Sanjo : Tsubame, Sanjo, Kamo, Yahiko, Tagami
- Nagaoka : Mitsuke, Nagaoka, Izumozaki, Kariwa, Kashiwazaki
- Yukiguni : Ojiya, Uonuma, Tokamachi, Minamiuonuma, Yuzawa, Tsunan
- JIM : Joetsu, Myoko, Itoigawa
- Sado Island
Niigata Charity Musical Director(s)*
The director(s) of the Niigata Charity Musical will be responsible for coordinating and directing the Charity Musical for the current JET year. Duties include recruiting participants, holding auditions in late August or early September, casting the musical, delegating musical-related duties (such as PR coordinator, prop master, head of crew, etc.) as they see fit, arranging and running rehearsals, choosing dates for performances and reporting them to the treasurer and the president, and otherwise directing the cast and crew.
Once the current JET year’s musical is completed, the director(s) must ensure that a script is written for the following year’s musical. The musical director(s) should have knowledge and experience with theatre and should have participated in the Niigata Charity Musical for at least one (1) year.
Webmaster
The Webmaster is an appointed position. The Webmaster is responsible for updating and maintaining the Niigata AJET Website, as well as collecting submissions for new website content.
Social Media Director
The social media director will be responsible for managing all of Niigata AJET’s social media accounts—including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. They are responsible for assisting other members in advertising events as well as generating content to enrich the lives of all Niigata AJET members.
If you are interested in becoming a Niigata AJET Council member, please contact us at niigataajet@gmail.com.
For any questions or enquiries:
Please contact us at niigataajet@gmail.com.
Alternatively, you can also get in touch via our Facebook group or find us on Twitter.