This prestigious annual program began in 1983 as the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and JCCC co-sponsored "U.S. Educators to Japan" program. Through this program, teachers and school/district administrators from the Chicago metropolitan area are invited to go to Japan for two weeks to view the Japanese educational system firsthand and to learn about various aspects of Japanese culture and society. In 1995, the JCCC independently took charge of this program and expanded the scope of the program, as well as the range of participants. The JCCC now also collaborates with the City of Osaka (sister-city of Chicago), Niigata Prefecture (sister to Illinois State), and the Hiroshima Board of Education to develop a rich and diverse educational and cultural exchange program. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. Educators to Japan Program and JEEP, over 130 Chicago area individuals have been able to visit Japan.		The program was established to express the Chamber's appreciation to local educators, who have provided quality education to many children of JCCC members, and for the local educational system, which has, over the years, generously collaborated with the Chicago Futabakai Japanese School. The mission of the program is, through a personal introduction to Japan, to help participants develop their interest in and appreciation for the Japanese educational system, culture and people. The JCCC believes that the visit by the JEEP delegates has a meaningful impact on their Japanese counterparts as well. It is the hope of the JCCC that, by engaging in interaction and discussion, both American and Japanese educators will gain a deeper mutual understanding and respect that will have a positive, lasting impact on their educational methods, school environment, and students. Participation in JEEP is by invitation, and participants are selected by the JCCC U.S.-Japan Relations Committee, which oversees the program.