What is Big Field?
Big Field designs and leads immersive international programs for students and educators. Our programs are built on long-standing relationships with partner schools, host families, and cultural institutions. Students participate in daily life abroad, taking on real responsibility within another culture rather than observing it from a distance.
Japan is the foundation of Big Field Travel. Through decades-long relationships, students participate in school exchanges, homestays, cultural study, and site-based learning that emphasizes history, memory, and contemporary life.
Why Big Field?
Yukiyo Moorman has facilitated these programs for more than 20 years, typically with groups of 13–25 students. Exchanges are offered every other year and are developed in close collaboration with partner schools and educators.
- Education-first design — itineraries are shaped by learning goals, not tourism checklists
- Host family stays — students live within local communities
- School partnerships — exchange with peers, not passive observation
- Careful pacing — fewer locations and longer stays
- Experienced leadership — deep familiarity with language, culture, and logistics
Japan is the foundation of Big Field Travel. Through decades-long relationships, students participate in school exchanges, homestays, cultural study, and site-based learning that emphasizes history, memory, and contemporary life.
Who is Big Field?
About
Yukiyo Moorman
is an outstanding educator with a career spanning over 40 years. She successfully led a long-running summer exchange program, taking students to Japan more than 20 times.
In recognition of her significant contributions to Japanese language education in the United States, she received the Foreign Minister’s Award in 2017 and the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government in 2023. These honors highlight her key role in developing the Japanese language curriculum, the AP Japanese Language and Culture course, and the AP exam for secondary schools across the U.S. She has also been a long-time AP exam scorer, serving in that capacity for over 15 years.
In 2020, thanks to her advocacy, the AP Japanese exam transitioned from a floppy disk-based system to a cloud-based platform, enabling its worldwide expansion.
Beyond education, Yukiyo Moorman is the founder and CEO of September House MAJ, a nonprofit organization that provides services and support to Japanese speakers in the Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland areas.
She is also one of the seven original task force members and a contributor to the Japanese American Care Fund, further demonstrating her lifelong commitment to the community.
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About
Akiko Moorman
Akiko Moorman is a dynamic and accomplished professional with a diverse background in both the culinary and healthcare fields. If you ever find yourself in Chicago, be sure to visit her Michelin-starred restaurant—an experience not to be missed.
She is the proud mother of two children, Talia (17) and Noa (15), and serves as the Director of Operations at EL Ideas, where she has been a key part of the team for over 11 years.
In addition to her leadership role in the culinary world, Akiko also supports our program as the team nurse. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing – Clinical Nurse Leader (MSN-CNL) from Rush University between 2019 and 2021, and has recently completed her PhD in Nursing at the same institution.
Dedicated to youth development and cultural exchange, Akiko has generously chaperoned our Japan trip more than seven times, contributing her expertise, care, and vibrant energy to every experience.
About
Michelle Innerarity
Michelle Innerarity is an engineering educator who brings a unique “full-circle” perspective to the Big Field team. As a proud alumna and former student of Yukiyo Moorman, Michelle transitioned from a program participant to a lead organizer, leveraging over six years of experience in planning and logistics to mentor the next generation of travelers
Michelle has done a diverse course load in a variety of engineering and education disciplines. This diverse academic background allows her to bridge the gap between technical innovation and global pedagogy, helping her students navigate complex problems both in the classroom and abroad.
Michelle is driven by the belief that diversity of thought and genuine people-to-people experiences are the catalysts for a better world. By blending her technical expertise with cultural exploration, she strives to create thoughtful learners who are as comfortable navigating new environments as they are solving engineering challenges. Having personally chaperoned multiple exchanges to Japan, she is dedicated to building student confidence through immersive, real-world discovery.
Big Field 