The JET Alumni Association of Toronto was founded in the fall of 1991 as a forum for former participants of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme.

The objectives of the association are as follows:

1) To promote and foster mutual understanding, friendship, co-operation and continued bilateral exchanges between Canada and Japan through JETAA activities; 

2) To aid JET alumni in re-adjusting to Toronto while maintaining and expanding Japanese cultural and community ties developed during their time in Japan; and 

3) To promote and foster the continued growth and success of the JET Programme by assisting the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto in their recruitment, interview process, orientation and reorientation of JET participants.

To accomplish these objectives, the association endeavours to:

i) To provide a network for former participants of the JET Programme via regular social events and the JETAA Toronto newsletter; 

ii) To support the efforts of the Consulate General of Japan with the promotion, recruitment and preparation of new participants for the JET Programme (this includes the conducting of a comprehensive pre-departure orientation for new participants); and 

iii) To liaise with other Japan-related organizations working to build strong ties of friendship between Canada and Japan

The Toronto association of JET Alumni is one of 45 chapters of the international alumni association that operates under the auspices of a Japan-based organization known as the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). 

While participants for the JET Programme are generally recruited through Japanese embassies or consulates, CLAIR is the agency that administers the JET Programme in Japan. CLAIR also maintains an international directory of JETAA members and publishes Jet Streams, a JETAA newspaper distributed to all members of the international association. 

JETAA Toronto, like other local chapters in the international association, sends regular reports to CLAIR in Tokyo, but has a close working relationship with the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto. JETAA Toronto desires the patronage of both CLAIR and the Consulate General of Japan and seeks, as one of its primary objectives, to maintain a positive working relationship with both these agencies of the Japanese Government.