In March of 2005, a small group of international preschool administrators and owners sat down with a purpose: to create an organization that would help the many preschools in the Tokyo area with publicity and professional development. The idea was that by working together, all the schools could help to get the word out about each other and to provide exciting training opportunities for teachers. What no one school could do alone, could more easily be accomplished as a community.
Since that day, the Tokyo Association of International Preschools (TAIP) has grown to more than 40 member schools and 11 associate members and will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. The organization’s annual conference draws professionals in a wide variety of areas and nearly 100 attendees. Professional development often involves bringing people over from North America or Europe—an expensive proposition, especially for smaller schools.
TAIP has hosted education professionals who offer specialized workshops for teachers in numerous fields. In addition, a number of smaller events throughout the year offer other opportunities for development and networking. Videos and information from many of these training sessions are accessible through the TAIP website, along with other resources.
Founded on the idea of collaboration, TAIP uses its collective resources to educate its member schools’ teachers and publicize institutions’ activities online or in publications in ways that no individual school could do, particularly those on limited budgets. The TAIP website is packed with resources and information for parents, school administrators and others in the field. It also offers a great way for companies that provide products or services to schools to connect to the international school community. Having enjoyed rapid growth to date, TAIP is even more excited about its plans for the future.
TAIP provides networking, marketing, and professional development opportunities for teachers, staff, and administrators. See tokyopreschools.org for membership information.
