JCIS Membership

JCIS Membership

The Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS) is a not-for-profit General Incorporated Association (ippan shadan hōjin) that currently includes thirty international schools operating in Japan that are committed to the JCIS mission and membership standards.  JCIS exists to support and strengthen high-quality international education in Japan through collegial collaboration, ethical practice, professional learning and shared commitment to student wellbeing. Although they collaborate and share common values, each school operates independently of the others. 

Among the many benefits of JCIS membership are the following:

  • A trusted, collegial and supportive network of Heads of School in Japan who meet in person as a group twice per year and engage regularly via other events and platforms throughout the school year  
  • A wide range of JCIS-organized professional learning opportunities that align with our mission and values, and meet the distinct needs of member schools, while also fostering strong connections and collaboration
  • Cohorts of member school staff in areas such as business & operations, child protection/safeguarding, inclusion (DEIJ), service learning, etc.
  • Reputational benefit of association with JCIS’s long history and high standards for member schools 
  • Shared directories, databases and surveys 
  • Mutual support during difficult times (e.g., COVID, natural disasters, etc.)
  • Preferential pricing/access agreements for members with various service vendors
  • Professional advocacy and collaboration on issues of common interest affecting international schools in Japan.

We invite like-minded international schools in Japan that meet the JCIS membership criteria to consider applying for membership. To ensure that JCIS membership decisions are transparent, criteria-aligned, and governed with clear accountability and professional rigor, our application process is multi-phase, beginning with an expression of interest and, if invited to submit a formal application, peer review by experienced heads of school, including site visits.