| Spring 2026: Kobe, Japan Student Teaching-Elementary Education |
| February 02, 2026 - March 18, 2026 (dates are tentative) |
| This program is closed. Please contact the faculty director for more information. |
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| Meetings | |
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| Interest Meetings: |
| | 03/10/2025 | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Willard Hall, Room 207 | |
| | 04/11/2025 | 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | https://udel.zoom.us/j/91351120259 | Or contact Vicki Goettel to set up a meeting vgoettel@udel.edu |
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| Program Notes | |
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For more information about this progarm, check out the College's web page.
Please review the CGPS COVID-19 Updates page before applying to a study abroad program.
All applicants must have a valid passport by the program’s application deadline. Your passport’s expiration date must be more than six months after the program ends. If you do not have a current passport, apply through the U.S. State Department. It takes an average of 10-13 weeks (3-4 months) to process a passport.
The University will continue to monitor the ongoing situation with COVID-19 (coronavirus) as we approach the departure date for this program. Please reach out to your program coordinator or faculty director with questions and continue to monitor the UD coronavirus webpage for updates.
Traveling and studying abroad during a global pandemic poses new challenges and requires accepting a higher level of uncertainty than in the past. Students who choose to study abroad at this time must be prepared to adapt to the evolving situation and must take responsibility to act in accordance with the rules, regulations, and recommendations of UD, their program leadership, and legal authorities of their home and host country. Due to the rapidly changing and unpredictable global and local response to COVID-19, these rules, regulations and recommendations are subject to change at any time. |
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| Program Description | |
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Complete your student teaching in Kobe, Japan. Kobe is one of the major cities in Japan. Located in the central part of the country, and situated between the water and the mountains to make it a beautiful location with lots of attractions and historical sites.
Student teaching would take place at Kansai International Academy (KIA) in Kobe, Japan. The Kobe campus KIA is a private English-Japanese bilingual PK-12 school. The school mission is “Developing creative and responsible leaders who can contribute to global society through inquiry-based English-Japanese bilingual education.” The school is accredited by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma programs as well as the Council of International Schools (CIS). The school offers a unique bilingual curriculum in English and Japanese similar to a Dual-Language Immersion approach with a higher majority of instruction in English at lower grade levels eventually approaching closer to half and half (but still majority instruction in English) in upper grades. The school employs teachers from a range of English-speaking countries and Japan and each class is led by an English-speaking International Homeroom Teacher with Japanese teachers providing instruction in Japanese across the curriculum. KIA also provides scheduled time for bilingual co-teaching which focuses on providing students with more opportunities for translanguaging or using their whole linguistic repertoires to participate and learn across the curriculum. Additionally, there is also a very active ESL program led by certified ESL specialists who support students who may need additional language support through pull-out or push-in instruction. Under the wider guiding principles of inquiry and student-led learning outlined in the IB Primary Years Program, the school uses an ELA curriculum from Cambridge University Publishers and an English-language version of the Japanese national curriculum for Math. KIA could provide opportunities for UD students to observe a unique approach to English-majority bilingual education, international perspectives on education, and work with a range of expert teachers from around the world.
This program is a 7-week, full-day student teaching experience lasting just short of 90 days. No visa is required for students who are U.S. citizens and who visit the country for fewer than 90 days.
Classroom assignments may range from first through eighth grade, depending on students' needs for certification. Students will participate in the teaching hours and responsibilities of the primary classroom teacher. They will also be assigned an on-site clinical educator and will be supervised by a University of Delaware field instructor via electronic conferencing and video observations. University of Delaware personnel will provide orienatition on-site in Japan, but do not stay for the entire 7 weeks. KIA staff will be available to assist with any local problems that may arise.
The Program Fee includes international health insurance, as well as housing in a furnished, dorm-style single apartment with a kitchen. Travel to and from school will be via train and walking.
The Program Fee does not include airfare to/from Kobe, Japan or transportation to and from the airport . The program officially begins when students arrive in Kobe. Students will receive detailed travel instructions after acceptance, explaining how and where to purchase their plane ticket. See the Cost section below for estimated airfare.
The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) cooperates with the College of Education and Human Development on the administration of this program. |
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| ACCESSIBILITY: Participants with disabilities should know that accessibility and accommodation in some program locations may differ from the United States. Transit systems and legacy building construction practices may not meet U.S. accessibility standards, and alternative access to public transportation, buildings, or public sites cannot be guaranteed. But UD students with disabilities are welcome and encouraged to study abroad. Review these questions with the Office of Disability Support Services to determine whether this program can meet your accommodation needs. |
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| Program Courses | |
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| All students enroll in two sections of EDUC 400 (1 for international and 1 for domestic) and one section of EDUC 433 for spring semester. Listed below are the two courses that are related to study abroad. The additional domestic section for EDUC 400 will be provided to you separately. |
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| EDUC 400: Student Teaching (6 credits) |
| A capstone course for all education majors. This is a full-time extended student teaching experience in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade schools. Teacher candidates are under the guidance and supervision of clinical educators(s) and supervisor. This experience allows teacher to demonstrate their knowledge acquired in their undergraduate courses and apply it to their teaching. |
| Prerequisite: Students must show evidence of passing a basic competency test and must show evidence of taking content knowledge test(s) in their area(s) of certification as required by the University Council on Teacher Education. In addition, students must submit a complete State/Federal Criminal Background History check and a Child Protection Registry check to the Office of Clinical Studies prior to the beginning of the student teaching placement. |
| Satisfies the following requirements: |
| | Discovery Learning |
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| EDUC 433: Student Teaching Seminar: Elementary Education (2 credits) |
| Provides student teachers with the knowledge and tools to support student learning. Addresses educational issues to prepare student teachers for future professional learning and self-development. |
| Hybrid course. Instructor will provide asynchronous option for students who are abroad. |
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| Requirements | |
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The International Student Teaching in Kobe, Japan, is designed for senior Elementary Education majors for the first 7 weeks of their student teaching semester. Students will be provisionally approved pending successful completion of their elementary and concentration courses and field experiences. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required, although candidates with slightly lower GPA’s may be considered if the rest of the application is strong and the candidate has shown improvement academically.
This program requires at least two recommendations, as well as two interviews: one with UD faculty and one online interview with staff from the local school. |
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| Costs | |
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How much does it cost?.
- University of Delaware Tuition/Fees for one Spring Semester
- Travel Study Program Fee
- Usually covers: housing, all program-related excursions and some meals (check with the program's faculty director for details).
- Does NOT cover: airfare to/from the program site and ground transportation to/from the U.S. departure airport. For planning purposes only, we estimate roundtrip airfare to be approximately $1,500.00.
- Plan ahead for how to pay for travel study, and make sure you understand the costs associated with your program.
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When and how do I pay?
If you are offered acceptance to the program, you will have 3 days to withdraw without financial penalty. After the 3 days have passed, you will be officially accepted to the program, and CGPS will post the full Program Fee and Tuition/Fees to your UD student account.
- An initial payment of $1000.00 will be due in mid-October.
- The balance of the Program Fee and Tuition/Fees will be due in early January.
- Payments are submitted through My Finances in UDSIS.
- All charges, once posted to your account, are considered non-refundable.
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Other important things to note:
- Program Fees are subject to change until the group's departure date. Final Program Fees may increase due to unforeseen local cost increases, fluctuations in exchange rates, or changes in the group size.
- CGPS reserves the right to cancel a program at any time due to under-enrollment, safety/health/security issues, staffing issues, or any other relevant reason. If your program is cancelled, you will receive a full refund of all Program Fees paid.
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| | Delaware Resident | Non-Delaware Resident | | Estimated Tuition based on current year | $7,300.00 | $19,595.00 | | Estimated Program Fee | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | | UD Registration & Activities Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | | Total to be charged to UD account (estimated) | $8,800.00 | $21,095.00 | | Plus Airfare Estimate (purchased separately) | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
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| The rates above may not apply to you if you are a UD graduate student during the time you are studying abroad. Please refer to http://www1.udel.edu/finaid/rates.html for the appropriate rates. |
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Students enrolled in fewer than 12 credits will initially be billed for full-time tuition as indicated here, and tuition charges will be adjusted later as appropriate.
The University of Delaware’s differential charge for Engineering, Nursing and Business & Economics students does not apply to winter or summer session and is waived for students enrolled in semester- or year-long study abroad and exchange programs sponsored by the University. |
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| Deadlines | |
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| All charges, once posted to your account, are considered non-refundable. Payments are submitted through My Finances in UDSIS. |
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| Submit Program Application by 5pm on | April 27, 2025 | | Acceptance and Scholarship Announced | TBD | | $1,000.00 Initial Payment Due * | mid-October | | Program Fee Balance, Tuition and Fees Due | early January |
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| *All students will receive an email when they are accepted to a program and will have 10 days from that notification to make their $1,000.00 Initial Payment. |
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| Contacts | |
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| Vicki Goettel |
| Faculty Director |
| Education |
| School of Education, 132 E Willard Hall |
| 610-213-0411 |
| vgoettel@udel.edu |
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| File Downloads | |
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| Emergency Numbers |
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| Program information is subject to change at any time. Please check this web site periodically for updates. |
