U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

International and Foreign Language Education Office

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program

CFDA 84.021A/B

GPA Short-term and Long-term

Grant Awards List and Project Abstracts

Fiscal Year 2021
Group Projects Abroad Program

FY 2021 Grant Awards List

Grantee Institution State Host Country Funding

Amount

Page

Number

SHORT-TERM PROJECTS

American Institute for Resource and Human Development GA Tanzania $88,515 5

Arizona State University AZ Brazil $99,997 7

Cabrini University PA Zambia $79,926 8

Hillsborough Community College FL Brazil $98,354 9

Kean University NJ South Korea $68,265 10

Madonna University MI Philippines $100,000 11

Miami University OH India $99,995 12

Morgan State University MD Senegal $96,537 14

Northern Illinois University IL Tanzania, Kenya $76,166 15

Northern Illinois University IL Taiwan $93,372 16

Oakton Community College IL Ghana, Togo $96,620 17

Penn State University PA Uganda $83,400 18

Towson University MD Peru $99,999 19

University of California, Los Angeles CA Mexico $98,780 20

University of Georgia GA Tanzania $94,460 21

University of Pittsburgh PA Tanzania $99,934 22

University of South Carolina SC Costa Rica, Nicaragua $99,973 23

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

American Councils for International Education DC Russia, Kazakhstan $238,500 25

American Institute of Indian Studies IN India $247,880 26

American Research Institute in Turkey DC Turkey $182,040 27

University of Arizona AZ Jordan $250,000 28
SHORT-TERM PROJECTS
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American Institute for Resource and Human

Development

Building Bridges with Culture, Language and Daily Life in Tanzania: A Short-Term Curriculum

Development Seminar for American Educators

Educational Systems in America traditionally have assumed the responsibility of preparing young Americans to cope with a 

changing world. Today, this obligation is becoming more pronounced than ever before in both intensity and need. The 

dynamic nature of both technology and interdependence among nations of the world is rapidly changing the economic and 

political landscape of the existing international system. We already live in a “global village” in which each country's survival 

depends on its ability to understand and cooperate with other nations. An educational system does not fulfill its obligation 

properly if its students are not exposed to the new global realities and if they are not adequately prepared to comprehend 

the logical realities of interdependence among nations. Thus, the need for expanding international education and addressing 

the critical global and intercultural issues our students will face in this modern time justifies the submission of the GPA grant 

proposal. In order to address these issues, the Center for International and African Studies Outreach (CIASO) of the American 

Institute for Resource and Human Development, Inc., (AIRHD), a non-profit 501 (C)(3) educational organization, located in 

Georgia proposes to conduct, under the auspices of the Fulbright-Hayes Group Projects Abroad (GPA) program, a study tour 

of Tanzania in East Africa involving seventeen participants: ten K-12 in-service teachers; five community college and 

/university faculty members; a project director and a curriculum specialist in the summer of 2022. This five-week seminar, 

which will take place in the summer of 2022 will consist of three phases: 1) a four-day pre-departure preparation orientation 

phase at the AIRHD site; 2) a five-week overseas’ study, travel, research and curriculum development phase; and 3) a post 

seminar or fellow-up activity phase to take place over twelve weeks period after returning from Tanzania. The primary activity 

in this project will be an integrated and comprehensive five-week program of instruction, field study, and cultural activities 

in Tanzania for the purpose of enabling the participants to develop curriculum materials for use in their respective 

classrooms. The Project participants will receive Swahili language instruction within a cultural context that will enrich their 

learning and provide lasting impact. Daily instruction in Swahili and seminars on Tanzanian culture, history, geography, 

politics, arts and society will be supplemented by site visits and daily interaction with the local population, creating a 

multidimensional, dynamic learning experience. The participants will be based at the University of Dar Es Salaam, the largest 

city of Tanzania, with organized excursions to Bagamoyo, Zanzibar, Arusha, and other places that illustrate the multicultural

diversity of Tanzania. While in Tanzania, the participants will visit schools at all levels and be exposed to Tanzanian education, 

languages, culture, family, and religious systems. A significant part of the project offers participants the chance to stay with 

“adopted” families and have personal contact with people. Only through understanding the lifestyle of Tanzania can these 

educators most effectively share their language, history and cultural experience with students in their own classrooms. The 

specific objectives for this Area studies short-term seminar project are: (1) to help participants develop an empathetic

understanding of the people and places through the experience of living in that place and working with people; (2) to work 

individually and in teams to develop grade appropriate curriculum units on Tanzania, East Africa and African area studies to 

be incorporated in social studies and humanities lesson plans in K-12 classrooms of school districts in which our participants 

teach; (3) to prepare the participants to teach their students about Africa from well researched, objective and sensitive 

curricula, so as to create an informed, healthy interest in Africa; (4) to acquire Kiswahili language instruction in the 

environment where it is spoken and to give participants the first-hand experience and knowledge of Tanzanian history, 

geography, culture and people; (5) to facilitate cooperation and promote closer communication between the American 

educators and their Tanzanian counterparts which will lead to mutual exchange of instructional materials, sharing of 

information, and teaching ideas in the future; (6) to acquire relevant teaching materials (artifacts, publications, personal 

experiences) that only an in- country experience can provide; and (7) to train the GPA participants to be mentors and 

information sources to disseminate the results of the project to their schools, districts, as well as for regional, state and 

national conferences. Criteria for the selection of participants will include: 1) written support from the school system ; 2) 

level of interest in Africa and willingness to integrate Africa into teaching; 3) potential to initiate and lead in introducing and 
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developing curriculum on Africa in local school systems/community, and in the regional and national educational setting 

through dissemination of the units and presentation at professional conferences; and 4) previous use of African curriculum 

in the classroom. The application package will include an essay on reasons for participating in this project, experience in 

integrating Africa into a curriculum, a letter of support from a school administrator, and a preliminary plan for the 

development and implementation of an instructional unit on their return. Preference will be given to applicants who have 

not been to Africa before. Participants will be nominated by their school systems, selected with a commitment to include 

minority groups and women.
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Arizona State University

Educational Exchanges Between Southern Borderlands

Name and Contact Information for Project Director: Glen Goodman, gsgoodman@asu.edu

GPA Project Type: Type 1, Short-term seminar 

Number and Educational Level of Project Participants: 12 participants; 5 elementary school, 5 secondary school, 2 higher 

education 

Brief Overview of the Proposed Project: Arizona State University’s Center for Advanced Studies in Global Education 

(CASGE) proposes a Brazilian Studies curriculum development program for educators who serve the greater Phoenix 

metropolitan area. 

ASU has partnered with two neighboring districts in the city of Phoenix (Osborn Elementary School District No. 8 

and Phoenix Union High School District) to include ten language specialists (five from each district) on a four-week study 

tour of Brazilian culture, language and indigenous populations. The selection of the two districts were strategically chosen 

as they collectively serve roughly 30,266 students, reflecting very diverse student populations. In addition, two students 

from related higher education programs (e.g., education, Portuguese language studies) will be able to participate. 

Prior to engaging in the four-week study tour of Brazil, all participating educators will receive Portuguese language training 

and engage in pre-departure seminars. Once in Brazil, educators will spend four weeks in various locations in Rio Grande 

do Sul, Brazil where they will be exposed to Brazilian culture, Brazilian Indigenous populations, and the Portuguese 

language. Following the study tour in Brazil, the educators will collaborate to design a K12 Brazilian Studies Curriculum 

Resource Guide which will be made widely available to all educators within these two districts as well as within the broader 

ASU Community. 

The program will be led by Fulbright Specialist and Brazilian Studies Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of 

International Letters and Cultures, Glen Goodman, Fulbright Specialist and Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers 

College, Dr. Gustavo Fischman, and Ms. Alejandra Enriquez Gates, Program Director in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers 

College Center for Advanced Studies in Global Education. 

Competitive Priorities: Competitive Preference Priority 3—Substantive Training and Thematic Focus on Less Commonly 

Taught Languages [Portuguese]; Competitive Preference Priority 4—Inclusion of K-12 Educators.
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Cabrini University

Bridges to Zambia

Project Director: Dr. Martha Ritter

GPA Project Type: Short-Term Seminar

Participants: 12 student participants: undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students

Subject: Cabrini University (Cabrini) proposes the continuation of “Bridges to Zambia,” a four-week

group project abroad designed to increase the cultural competency of U.S. students and studenteducators by focusing on the history, culture, language, and society of Zambia.

Cabrini University (Cabrini) proposes the continuation and expansion of “Bridges to Zambia,” a four-week group 

project abroad designed to increase the cultural competency and capacity for engaged global citizenship by focusing on the 

history, culture, language, and society of Zambia through the lens of social justice and education, including human rights 

education. Bridges to Zambia II will promote area studies at Cabrini, and through their sharing of the experience, impact 

students and faculty at Cabrini and reach students and teachers in PreK-12 schools and businesses in which participants 

will have careers. Project partners include Project Zambia (PZ), whose work focuses on “education, feeding programmes, 

improved access to first aid/healthcare, clean water and safe sanitation, income-generation and empowering communities 

through the training of local people” Vision of Hope (VoH), a local outreach arm of PZ, which is a Lusaka-based Zambian 

non-governmental organization (NGO), and St. Lawrence School which educates children in Grades Pre First through Ninth, 

including many who reside in the Misisi Compound, a slum in Lusaka. 

Zambia, a nation of over 16.5 million people, is a former British colony classified as a lower-middle-income country. Zambia 

is an exemplar of the challenges of a once-colonized nation that has been destabilized and seeks to flourish by investing in 

its future. Its capital, Lusaka (the home base of Cabrini’s Bridges to Zambia), has a long and important history. It has been a 

base for those attempting to free the region from colonial rule and has seen many nationalist movements as the country 

struggled to achieve stability. Experiencing the country’s history, social structure, institutions, language, and culture, in 

Lusaka and additional sites in the country, will encourage students to examine the events and institutions that have shaped 

Zambia’s culture and impacted international relations and development. 

Participants will be eight pre- and in-service teachers in undergraduate and graduate courses at Cabrini, and four students 

in international business. Bridges to Zambia II participants will be immersed in Zambian culture; economics; the 

educational system; and history. The immersion will contribute to students’ higher-level thinking and understanding of the 

interconnectedness of education and economics, and how each impact human rights. Like Bridges to Zambia funded in 

2019 and 2021, Bridges to Zambia II is unique in that it brings together pre- and in-service teachers with students in 

international business, to better understand the interrelatedness of economics and education. 

Project goals set are to 1) Increase cultural competency of participants and deepen their cross-cultural understanding 

through experiential learning and meaningful interaction with Zambians.; (2) Increase knowledge of an understudied part 

of the world through an in-depth examination of Zambian history, culture, and society, including introduction to local 

language.; and (3): Promote global citizenship and human rights understanding through creation and dissemination of 

thematic units to PreK-12 which include oral histories in poetry, narrative, and art to educators, professional organizations, 

and human rights networks. Bridges to Zambia II addresses Competitive Preference Priority 4.
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Hillsborough Community College

The Interconnection between Language, History, Art, and Culture: 

A study of the Brazil’s African Diaspora

This Fulbright-Hays GPA Short Term Seminar Project, submitted with the support of Hillsborough Community 

College (HCC) and University of Detroit Mercy(UDM) meets the program’s competitive priority preferences of 1, and 4 as 

well as the absolute priority with its focus on Brazil. With the guidance of the PD and the CC, the program introduces a 

group of 12 participants, fifty percent of whom will come from middle school and high school, to a four-week study of AfroBrazilian history, arts, and language. 

The project recognizes the pervasive underrepresentation of non-Eurocentric voices in American education and 

argues that by bringing a focus to the African and Latinx voice, we meet the academic and emotional needs of our 

economically disadvantaged students, most of whom are from black and brown backgrounds. This GPA focuses on 

providing teachers with the tools, experience, and skills necessary to re-imagine their classroom as a place where a 

diversity of voices are given equal time and where the classroom becomes, in part, an exciting exposure to Brazil’s majority 

minority culture. 

Involvement in this GPA will enhance the academic lives of participants through a lived exposure to the 

international world; in turn, they will appropriately meet the needs of their students who must learn to think about the 

world as an increasingly interconnected place. With this rationale as a guiding principle, this GPA focuses on the following 

goals: (1) to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the importance of the history of the Afro-Brazilian 

diaspora and how it functions as a lingering social, political, and religious expression of the continuity of a people and 

place, (2) to immerse participants in the learning of language and culture of Brazil, (3) to strengthen the area studies

competency of participants and engage their interest in curriculum development and internationalization. 

Hosted in conjunction with professors of Universidade Do Estado Da Bahia and Universidade Federal da Bahia, the 

program aims to provide participants with several benefits. Among these benefits are an understanding of the literary, 

artistic, educational, and performative culture in Brazil, inclusive of the role each of the cities plays in creating (or negating) 

the voice for the marginalized and in honoring and privileging (or impairing) the diaspora community within the larger, 

more dominant, culture of whiteness. This study of the diaspora in Brazil will focus on the cultural history of Brazil and will 

prompt participants to ask questions about what diversity means in a Western society and about how the history of 

dehumanization and rehumanization affects race relations and the production of culture. It will lead participants to an 

understating of how heritage is preserved and respected and how the challenges associated with that preservation are 

documented through words, music, art, and tradition. Through the lived experiences, participants will come to an 

understanding of how discourses of race and class reflect both national, regional, and personal philosophies and beliefs. 

By enabling the participants to immerse themselves in culture and language of the Brazilian diaspora community, they will 

be able to gain an appreciation for the struggles of second language learners as they themselves become language 

learners. They will collect relevant narratives and artifacts that will become part of teaching Brazil and racial history; and 

they will develop a curricular program designed to inspire students towards excellence through a mastery of teaching that 

focuses on the international elements of history and personhood.
10

Kean University

Global Citizenry summer seminar to South Korea - diversifying and expanding global studies 

access at Kean University

Project Type: Short-term Seminar

Host Country: South Korea

A key element of Kean University’s new baccalaureate in Global Studies is the enhancement of students’ 

intercultural competency and global citizenship capacity. One of the best mechanisms for achieving such competency and 

capacity is to engage students in high-impact, experiential learning, like study abroad and internships. To build these 

opportunities into the new degree program, we propose a Global Citizenry seminar and mini-internship combined into a 

four-week summer, faculty-led study abroad experience. We will pilot this initiative in South Korea in 2022—an emerging 

East Asian democracy of global significance with a history of civic mobilization in support of a human rights framework for 

democratization. Experiential learning in South Korea will bolster the Asia concentration track within the Global Studies 

degree program. The Global Citizenry summer seminar will integrate real-world, international study into the degree to 

increase linguistic and cultural competency amongst students. This pilot model also combines internship and study abroad 

activities into one full credit, experiential program that is socially equitable and fiscally conscious, thus diversifying study 

abroad at Kean. 

Kean University has identified a need for summer program offerings that are affordable, time-friendly, experiential, 

and accessible to a diverse range of students. The Global Citizenry summer seminar helps meet this need by expanding 

access to summer study abroad and increasing experiential instruction in foreign language and culture for more students. 

Specific objectives of the program are to: 1) offer B.A. Global Studies a short-term, high-intensity summer option 

(combining internship and study abroad) for full academic credit to achieve the learning outcomes associated with the 

program, and 2) help diversify Kean student access to summer experiential learning through a program that mitigates the 

financial and social barriers preventing students from enrolling in traditional, longer study abroad and internship courses. 

A Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant will be used to send fourteen people from 

Kean University (one faculty lead and a project director, two content experts, and ten undergraduate Global Studies 

students) to South Korea in the summer of 2022. Once there, they will collaborate with South Korean academics at 

Soongsil University and civic group partners from the Beautiful Foundation in a four-day Global Citizenry workshop. The 

students will then enroll in a three-week Korean culture and language course with Soongsil University’s International 

Summer School and participate in a mini-internship experience with a civic group, supervised by the Kean faculty member. 

Funding will be used to cover the Global Citizenry seminar and workshop, travel expenses, cultural excursions, and 

language classes in South Korea. We are requesting $68,265 to accomplish these activities in the pilot phase. 

The project addresses Absolute Priority 1 (focus on South Korea), Competitive Preference Priority 1 (minorityServing institution, and new applicant), and Priority 3 (training and thematic focus on Korean).
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Madonna University

Understanding the Filipino Educational System

Applicant: Madonna University 

Contact: Dr. Connie Tingson-Gatuz cgatuz@madonna.edu 

Project Type: Short-Term Curriculum Development 

Participants: Five faculty members with a terminal degree in their fields; seven graduate students with a bachelor’s degree; 

the project director with a Ph.D. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: Madonna University is seeking consideration under Competitive Preference Priority 1 as 

a new applicant 

Overview: 

Madonna University is requesting funds to support the travel of 13 faculty, students, and the project director to 

participate in a four-week, in-country program in the Philippines. This project will provide the participants with the core 

competencies, information, and materials needed for curriculum development to incorporate knowledge of the Philippines 

into the broader curriculum, with a special emphasis on understanding the Filipino educational system. This program will 

build on existing knowledge and connections that the University has developed in the Philippines through a study abroad 

program that has focused on nursing and health service delivery over the past six years. 

The project will pursue the following goals: (1) provide education faculty with the materials needed to expand 

existing courses and to develop new courses about the Philippines; (2) recruit participation from other departments such 

as broadcast and cinema arts, business, English, history, and political science to enable these faculty to add a focus on 

Filipino studies to existing courses; and (3) develop a network of faculty, students, and community members with an 

interest in the Philippines to establish a vehicle for continuing to bring an understanding of Filipino culture as well as of the 

importance of cross-cultural understanding into the campus community as well as the neighboring community. These goals 

will be accomplished by providing faculty with an intensive, four-week program in the Philippines to learn about the 

country’s history, culture, and traditions, with a special emphasis on the delivery of education to students in primary, 

secondary, and postsecondary settings; ensuring that each faculty member will then either (a) develop a new course that 

incorporates the information, data, and materials gathered in the Philippines in a substantial way (over 50% of the course 

material) or (b) significantly revise an existing course so that at least 25% of the course will draw upon the knowledge 

gained through this program. Additionally, the graduate student participants will complete a course that will include the 

travel as well as activities post-travel to disseminate information on their experiences while in the Philippines. 

This project will further deepen the relationship between Madonna and the partner institutions in the Philippines, 

serving as a foundation to continue developing relationships through remote connections and future trips. The faculty 

participants will bring back a deeper understanding of Filipino culture that will both inform the curricular developments 

and allow these faculty to contribute to the ongoing cultural offerings at Madonna. Additionally, the project will offer 

broader benefits to the community, including the large and growing Filipino population. The activities and efforts of this 

project will herald a new partnership between Madonna and the Filipino American Community Council of Michigan to offer 

regular educational events and activities that promote Filipino culture and serve to educate the broader population about 

this community.
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Miami University

Enhancing cultural competence and integrating international perspectives in the redesign of

Global Miami Plan Courses through explorations of diverse subcultures of India

Project Type: Fulbright Hayes Group Project Abroad short-term (seminar project)

Name of applicant institution: Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Name and contact information of the project director: Vaishali Raval, PhD, Department of

psychology, Miami university, 90 N Patterson Ave, Oxford, Ohio, 45056, ravalvv@miamioh.edu

Project participants: 12 higher education faculty members

Priorities addressed: The absolute priority (focus on India as a geographic region), competitive

preference priority 3 (substantive training in a less commonly taught language, Hindi).

For educators in the Midwestern United States (US), opportunities to interact with others

with differing cultural values and lifestyles have been limited, making it difficult to conceive and

construct curricula that are decolonized and integrate local perspectives from communities around

the world. As universities work towards developing programming to promote cultural competence

among their students, it is vital to ensure that educators have professional development

opportunities that enable them to reflect on their own cultural values and values inherent in their

discipline that have Euro American foundations, providing them with opportunities to learn from

educators in other parts of the world. With this in mind, Miami University proposes a short-term

seminar project to India. As our core liberal arts curriculum known as the Global Miami Plan that is

required of all students is undergoing revision and redesign, our goal is to provide a much needed

global immersion experience to 12 educators from Miami who teach global perspectives courses in

the Global Miami Plan to 1) promote reflective exploration of the ways in which multiple cultural

influences and systems contribute to individual development, including on one’s own self

development, 2) critically evaluate the ways in which knowledge and teaching practices in one’s

scholarly discipline has colonial and Euro-American foundations, 3) integrate de-colonized local

perspectives from India in one’s humanities and social science curricula, 4) modify pedagogical

methods to meet the needs of a diverse student body, and 5) disseminate knowledge gained to other

educators.

India provides a rich context to achieve these goals through its diverse subcultures formed

through intersecting influences of language, religion, region, gender, and socio-economic class,

among others, making it highly relevant for courses in world history, religion, gender and sexuality

studies. As the world’s largest democracy, a major nuclear power, and an emerging market,

inclusion of India is critical in political science and economics courses. Further, Asian Indians are

also among the fastest growing ethnic groups in the US, with more recent waves of immigrants to

the Midwest, and at Miami, students from India are the third largest group of international students,

making it particularly relevant for educators to learn about India.

To best prepare the participants, the pre-departure phase includes instruction in Hindi, the

national language of India, and an overview of religions in India, history, economics, political

structure, family life, gender and gender identity, health and well-being through lectures, films, and

reflective exercises. In the overseas phase, participants will travel across the country (Bengaluru,

Pune, Vadodara, and Delhi) for 4 weeks, engaging in academic activities (i.e., sitting in classes,

meeting with faculty, attending lectures, one-on-one meetings with peer mentors), and cultural

experiences (i.e., visiting non-profit organizations, places of worship, cultural and historic sites). In
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the follow-up phase, participants will complete a curricular revision or innovation project (i.e., add

a unit on India or expand focus on India in their social science/humanities course, or develop a new

course focused on India), reflect on and modify pedagogical methods, and prepare materials for

dissemination at conferences and/or through publication. An external evaluator will track progress

using participants’ self-assessment and objective evaluation of quality of final curricular products.
14

Morgan State University

Senegal in the New Millennium Challenge. History, Education, Culture and Youth Social and 

Civic Engagement. Implications for teaching: Youth, Wolof, French and Francophone African 

Cross-cultural relations.

Number of Participants: 15, including the Project Director, (two faculty from Morgan State University and 10 K-12 

schoolteachers and administrators from different school systems/ districts in Maryland, 1 graduate and 1 advanced 

undergraduate student from Morgan State University and/or Maryland universities. 

Mbare Ngom, Ph. D., Project Director 

Morgan State University (443)885-3090 

1700 E. Cold Spring Lane Fax(443)885-8222 

Baltimore, Maryland 21251-0001 E-mail:mbare.ngom@morgan.edu 

Project Abstract 

Morgan State University (MSU) seeks the support of the U.S. Department of Education to take a group of 14 

educators on a five-week intensive immersion professional and curriculum development program to Senegal. The goal of 

the program is to study issues related to youth and civic engagement and the responses of youth to major societal issues in 

Senegal. This project will help participants understand ways in which youth use a variety of strategies, including 

engagement with media and communications technologies, to enhance their role in the change processes of their 

societies. 

Participants will study, design and implement effective ways of teaching the history, culture, and educational structures 

and policies of republican Senegal, West Africa, and Africa in general Through rigorous lectures, seminars, roundtables, and 

guided visits of culturally and historically relevant sites, participants will learn about the history of youth in contemporary 

Senegal and will learn about the interactions between youth, culture, education, religion, African traditions, and republican

institutions. Participants will improve their proficiency in the French language and in African francophone culture and learn 

elementary survival Wolof. Senegalese scholars and experts from a wide range of disciplines and professions, including 

youth-led and serving civil organizations, religious groups, as well as government agencies, will help to provide a thorough 

insight into the history of children and youth, and their engagement and participation in tackling the challenges posed by 

globalization in 21st century Senegal. The objectives of this Group Projects Abroad are to help participants: 

• to acquire knowledge about the history and geography of West Africa and Africa, and its interrelationships with the 

rest of the world, and more specifically with the US; 

• to enhance communicative skills in French and Wolof and to engage in service-learning activities designed to 

develop an appreciation of this multicultural society. 

• to learn the history and status about youth and childhood- in this sub-region of Africa, and their interaction with 

local political, social, cultural, and economic structures. 

• to acquire the tools needed to design and develop new curriculum materials on Senegal, West Africa, and on Africa 

in general, and/or significantly enhance existing courses. 
15

Northern Illinois University

Changing Perspectives: Language and Cultural Exploration Through Experiencing Difference

Submitting Information: Dr. Kurt Thurmaier

Contact Information: Department of Public Administration

Northern Illinois University

1425 Lincoln Highway

DeKalb, IL 60115

Number of Participants: 14 pre-service and in-service teachers

Educational level: Undergraduate teacher certification candidates and master’s level

education students currently enrolled in NIU College of Education.

Competitive Priorities:

Competitive Priority #1: New Applicant

This project stems from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of

Education at Northern Illinois University which has not previously applied for a Fulbright-Hays

GPA.

Competitive Priority#3: Substantive training and thematic focus on less commonly taught

language

This project provides 65 hours of instruction on Kiswahili, a language that is spoken in E. Africa.

Competitive Priority #4: to be undertaken at secondary schools and include K-12

teachers at 50%

All schools participating in this project are secondary boarding schools. In addition, Changing

Perspectives will be recruiting seven (50%) in-service teachers to participate.

Overview:

This five-week intensive multicultural teaching/learning trip to Tanzania and Kenya will

provide the participants currently studying in the College of Education at Northern Illinois

University an opportunity to learn Kiswahili for 65 hours, teach and observe in Tanzanian and

Kenyan secondary schools, and deepen their understanding of themselves as cultural beings

through reflection and frequent debriefings regarding their experiences. This experience will

provide an opportunity for the participants to visit cultural sites that are simply not found in the

U.S. (i.e. a safari in the Serengeti National Park). They will have the opportunity to explore local

markets and practice the Kiswahili that they have learned, engage in discussion with the

secondary teachers about teaching practices, and participate in lectures from professors from

Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya about educational policy and the effects of COVID on

Kenyan school children. This project taps into partnerships that have been developed over the

past 12 years and through this project, we hope to deepen these partnerships.
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Northern Illinois University

Project SEED

Project Type: Short-Term Research/Group Project 

Institution Name: Northern Illinois University 

Host Country: Taiwan 

Amount of Time in Country: 12 weeks 

Number of Participants: 5 including (2) public school K-12 teachers; (2) NIU faulty members in social science field; and (1) 

Project Director. 

Project Directors: Project Director, Dr. Wei-Chen Hung; Project Co-Director, Dr. Terry Borg; In-Country Program 

Coordinator/Director, Dr. Huann-shyang Lin (Director of The Research Center for Promoting Civic Literacy) 

Project Evaluators: Dr. Todd Reeves (US), Dr. Zuway-R Hong (Taiwan) 

The purpose of Project SEED is to conduct a series of collaborative research projects on civic literacy and civic efficacy as 

mediated by issues relevant to social justice, education equity, and diversity. The study goals, through onsite communitybased action research, panel discussions, classroom participations, workshops, and weekend cultural tours, are as follows: 

1. Generate knowledge about the development of civic knowledge and skills, and attitude towards civic literacy and 

efficacy in Taiwan for research and development of civic engagement in Language, Social Science, and Science learning. 

2. Disseminate knowledge and information to increase the awareness about how the perceived social justice, education 

equity, and diversity, influence feelings of civic literacy and civic efficacy. 

3. Promote awareness of social justice, equity, and diversity by creating a series of instructional modules that integrate 

civic engagement issues into Language, Social Science, and Science learning. 

To carry out Project SEED’s study goals, the following working research objectives are devised. 

1. Investigate how the Social Participation Education component of Taiwan’s Twelve-year Curriculum and how the 

competencies of social justice, civic consciousness, and multiculturalism are integrated with content of Language, Social 

Science, and Science. (Goals 2, 3) 

2. Seek to identify factors that influence development of civic knowledge and skills, and attitude towards civic literacy and

efficacy. (Goals 1, 3) 

3. Explore how various Taiwanese ethnic groups (e.g., Hoklo, Hakka, mainland Chinese, Indigenous Taiwanese) perceive 

social justice, education equity, and diversity, and how these perceptions influence feelings of civic literacy and civic 

efficacy. (Goals 1, 2, 3) 

4. Examine how Taiwanese teachers cultivate social justice, education equity, and diversity through the Social Participation 

Education curriculum, and how U.S educators also pursue such aims. (Goal 2, 3) 

Project SEED is a multicultural collaborative effort, grounded in community-based action research theory applicable to the 

real world in which schools and community exist. The process and outcome data developed through this project will be 

translated into usable and clear information (curriculum modules, research reports, publications) that support educational 

development of appreciation and understanding of cultural, gender, and ethnic diversity necessary for effective 

communication in formal and informal learning settings. 

Competitive Preference Priority: The proposed project meets Competitive Preference Priority #4 because it plans to ensure

that at least 50 percent of program participants are K–12 teachers.
17

Oakton Community College

West African Anti-Colonial Imagination and Identity

Institution: Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, IL

Project Director: Dr. Katherine Schuster, schuster@oakton.edu , 847-376-7118

GPA Type: Short-Term Project

Participants: 12 community college and 2 high school instructors, 2 seminar co-directors

Priorities: 1

Oakton Community College identified West Africa and the African Diaspora as area

studies that were underrepresented in our curriculum. We seek to fill this representation gap with

the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant for “West African Anti-Colonial Imagination

and Identity” including a seminar for 14 community college and 2 high school faculty in Ghana

and Togo from June 18 to July 25, 2022. Oakton’s GPA proposal will contribute to developing,

expanding, and strengthening the West African and African Diaspora area studies of community

colleges and high schools in Illinois, including the politics of language use among the Ewe

peoples, from an anti-colonial perspective. We will do this by opening dialogue among U.S.

academics and Ghanaian and Togolese academic, business, civic, and cultural leaders. The GPA

will meet the Fulbright-Hays’s mission by providing college and high school faculty the chance

to participate in research and curriculum development projects in Ghana and Togo. The grant

team administrators and participants will do this by meeting three goals: 1) To develop a cohort

of instructors who will become conversant with West Africa and West African and African

diasporic culture, languages and literature, visual art, mass media, politics, religion, history,

philosophy, social movements, and sustainability projects by connecting community college and

high school educators to area experts in the United States and a range of individuals, institutions,

and initiatives, including representatives from academia, civil society, political institutions, and

Indigenous cultures in Ghana and Togo. 2) To foster among the participants and individuals at

affiliated institutions an understanding and appreciation of the African and African diasporic

anti-colonial perspectives and frameworks from the vantage of multiple disciplines. 3) To create

innovative international and multicultural curricula that reconceptualizes West African and

African diasporic identities from outside of the dominant Eurocentric narrative and draws on the

participant immersion experience in Ghana and Togo, and to facilitate the inclusion of this

curricula at Oakton Community College, partnering institutions, and surrounding secondary and

post-secondary institutions.

We have established partnerships with the African Studies Centers at The University of

Wisconsin - Madison, Northwestern University, and Michigan State University. We have also

partnered with EDU Africa for activities and accommodations in Ghana and Togo. Oakton’s

membership and leadership in the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs and

Community Colleges for International Development will enhance and expand the dissemination

of the project outcomes. Oakton’s GPA includes three US-based preparation seminars, a series of

in-country experiences with independent learning objectives, and a post-seminar curriculum

development period, each of which includes a robust assessment protocol. This GPA will

contribute to multidisciplinary curriculum development in community colleges and the high

school districts they serve by addressing gaps in area studies in West Africa and the African

diaspora.
18

Penn State University

#TeachAgUganda: Achieving the SDGs Together

Name of applying institution: The Pennsylvania State University

Name and contact info for Project Director: Daniel Foster, Ph.D.

Email: foster@psu.edu Phone: 814-863-0192

GPA project you’re applying for: CFDA 84.021A, Group Study Project

Number and educational level of participants: 

13, including a minimum of 6 current secondary agricultural education secondary school teachers, with 1 assistant 

professor serving as program organizers and facilitators.

(Two additional agriculture education faculty members will accompany the group, but no funding is requested to 

cover their costs.)

Competitive Preference Priority Areas Addressed: 4

The Global Teach Ag Consortium, comprising of twenty-seven academic, non-governmental and private 

organizations, proposes a group study abroad project for U.S. secondary teachers focused on agriculture and food security 

education. The overall purpose of the project is to develop and prepare globally-minded agricultural education teachers 

through a short-term exchange experience in a contextually relevant situation in Uganda. The proposed project grew out of 

a movement to globalize curriculum in the agricultural sciences at the secondary level that began with two previous 

Fulbright Hays Group Project Abroad experiences, which has grown to include an annual Global Leaning in Agricultural 

Conference and a marked increase in demand for professional development for agricultural educators to globalize 

agricultural curriculum. A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program will enable the Global Teach Ag Consortium to 

address this need directly. Specific program objectives are to: 1) Increase the global competence of pre-service and current 

agricultural educators; 2) Focus on the intersection of culture and the agriculture systems in Uganda; 3) Promote the 

integration of international studies into the secondary agriculture classroom. Participants will learn about the culture, 

history, agriculture, and agricultural education in Uganda; and build skills through the unique experience of conducting coteaching episodes in a Ugandan classroom with Ugandan colleagues. Post-travel activities will include a debriefing 

workshop in Fall 2022 when participants will have an opportunity to reflect on their experience and to develop and share a 

reusable leaning objective reflecting knowledge, skills and dispositions gained during the experience. Current and future 

agricultural educators will benefit from this program because of increased knowledge and skills that will enable them to 

infuse their work with an international perspective. On a wider scale, agricultural education and both U.S. and Ugandan 

society will benefit from a cadre of trained teachers, current and future, from diverse agricultural backgrounds and 

geographic areas, capable of advancing agricultural education’s global mission and serving as positive change agents in 

their professions.
19

Towson University

Partners in Education:

Working Together to Enhance the Teaching of Latin America - Peru 2022

Dr. Colleen Ebacher, Principal Investigator

Professor - Department of Foreign Languages

Towson University

8000 York Road

Towson, MD 21252

cebacher@towson.edu

Participants: Project Director and 16 K-12 educators

Short-Term Seminar Project

Hispanics make up nearly 24% of U.S. public school enrollment. Despite the culturally

and linguistically diverse backgrounds of a significant number of their students, most K-12

teachers lack the cross-cultural background, knowledge and experience necessary to provide the

responsive and enriching learning environments their students need. The goal of the proposed

program is to provide experiential learning, training, and support that will foster Spanish

language and intercultural competence that program participants can employ in the construction

of teaching plans and templates to use, share, and widely disseminate. For two weeks in Piura

and four weeks in Cusco, Peru, Towson University faculty (Principal Investigator) and sixteen

K-12 teachers (including the Curriculum Specialist) will participate in language study, lectures,

interviews, home stays, excursions, workshops and cultural activities as they explore issues

central to Latin America. They will experience and learn firsthand about the history, culture, art

and architecture, indigenous peoples, environment, education and society of modern Peru.

The goal of “Partners in Education” to foster linguistic and intercultural competence will

be accomplished by meeting the following objectives:

• Immersion experience in Peru

• Spanish language training

• Study and experience of Peruvian life and culture

• Creation and dissemination of curriculum units in Spanish language and/or the content areas

• of Latin American Studies with an emphasis on cross-disciplinary connections

• Creation of learning community and partnerships with Peruvian teachers.

Outcomes: Participants will strengthen their Spanish language skills and cultural awareness

through the pre- and post-departure activities and the six-week immersion in Peru. In

accomplishing its six objectives, “Partners in Education” fulfills the purpose of the FulbrightHays Group Project Abroad to increase the linguistic and cultural competency of U.S. teachers

and their students. Through their experiences in Peru, teachers will develop Spanish language

skills and intercultural awareness and appreciation to meet the needs of a culturally and

linguistically diverse student community and to address issues of global interconnectedness and

cultural sensitivity. In Peru, they will converse, study, record and compile on-site collections of

local artifacts, visual records, and audio and video material amid the cultural context that renders

them meaningful. And, in the curriculum units that they create and disseminate as a result, they

will move beyond what are often standardized, stale and outdated lesson plans that do not

capture the vibrancy of Latin America to stimulating and relevant multimedia curriculum units

that will impact their students, schools and communities through lived experiences in Peru.

Program Priorities: Absolute Priority and Competitive Preference Priority 4.
20

University of California, Los Angeles

From Monte Albán to California:

Connecting The Indigenous Past and Present in Oaxaca, Mexico

Principal Investigator: 

Dr. Kevin Terraciano, Professor, Department of History, Director, Latin American Institute 

Co-organizer 

Dr. Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, Project Director, UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education 

Project Director 

Veronica Zavala, Outreach Coordinator, Latin American Institute 

GPA Project Type: Short-term seminar project 

Project Participants: 20 pre-service (advanced teacher credential program in–service K-12) educators from the Los Angeles 

Unified School District 

Overview of Proposed Project 

In this four-week interactive seminar, K-12 educators will study the diverse history, languages and cultural 

practices of the indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico. The program will feature interdisciplinary lectures, discussions, and 

interactive workshops, enabling educators to integrate new content and resources into the K-12 curriculum. Participants 

will be introduced to a variant of the Mixtec language, one of the most widely-spoken language groups of Oaxaca, by local 

native speakers and linguists who teach and do research on Mixtec. Educators will also learn from various experts on topics 

related to the seminar, from archaeology, art and history to botany, agriculture and migration. The discussion of topics 

begins in ancient times, around the 1st century CE, and ends in the present day, seeking to understand enduring cultural 

legacies in one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Mesoamerica. Participants will visit key sites, museums and meet 

local experts and artists who will provide unique insights for educators. The Latin American Institute (LAI) is collaborating 

with the Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca (FAHHO) and the Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova (located in the 

Centro Cultural de San Pablo, near the center of Oaxaca City) to organize this seminar. The seminars, workshops and trips 

will be conducted in English, Spanish and Mixtec. 

Absolute Priority 

Specific Geographic Regions of the World: Western Hemisphere 

Competitive Preference Priorities 

Priority 1: New Applicant 

Priority 3: Substantive Training and Thematic focus on Less Commonly Taught Language 

Priority 4: Inclusion of K-12 Educators
21

University of Georgia

Language and Cultural Immersion for K-12 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Tanzania

Applicant Institution: The University of Georgia Project Director: Dr. Rob Branch 

Contact Information: 223 River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Rd. Athens, GA 30602; rbranch@uga.edu 706-542-4253 

(Office) 

Type of GPA Project: Short-Term – Curriculum Development 

Participants: 12 participants plus one director (13 total). Participants are K-12 in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and 

administrators 

Competitive Preference: The proposal addresses Absolute priority, priority 1, priority 3, and priority 4 

Abstract 

The University of Georgia is applying for a short-term curriculum development 2021 Fulbright- Hays Group Project 

Abroad Program. This project will engage 12 participants from one or more of the following areas of education: K-12 

teachers, K-12 pre-service teachers, graduate students and educational administrators. The participants will hold at least a 

bachelors’ degree or current undergraduate junior college students. The absolute priority project will take place in the 

United States of America (USA), and in Tanzania. The proposed project will allow participants to travel to Tanzania for the 

purpose of collecting teaching materials for the development of rich program projects that can be shared with other K-12 

teachers. This project seeks to promote and facilitate the study of Kiswahili language and culture through the application of 

instructional technologies. The intent is to apply the knowledge acquired by the participants to area studies upon their 

return to the United States.

The program project meets competitive preference priority 1 that awards projects that are for GPA Short-Term 

Projects involving selected Institutions and Organizations such as Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), Community colleges, 

and New applicants. This project qualifies for this priority under the New Applicant provision since this is the third GPA 

proposal from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, Department of Career and Information Studies at the 

University of Georgia. The project will build upon a previously successful program implemented during 2019 using a 

robotics education curriculum to promote indigenous knowledge. 

The proposed project meets Competitive Preference Priority 3, which awards projects that offer Substantive 

Training and Thematic Focus on Priority Languages. This project qualifies for this priority in that it will offer intensive 

Swahili language training; at least 50% of the time allocated for the pre-immersion, immersion, and post-immersion 

periods of the project. The rest of the 50%, although labeled indigenous knowledge and information and communication 

technology (ICT), emphasizing Kiswahili language and culture. 

Finally, the project meets Competitive Preference Priority 4 because the participants will be K–12 Educators.
22

University of Pittsburgh

East Africa: Language, Culture, and Society

Applicant Institution: University of Pittsburgh

Project Director: Dr. Filipo Lubua, Email: lubua@pitt.edu, Phone: 740-591-8749

Short Term Seminar Participants: 12 pre-service teacher education students

Abstract

The African Studies Program of the University of Pittsburgh proposes to offer a short-term

seminar project in Tanzania during the summer of 2022 for 12 pre-service teacher education

students in the social sciences and humanities. The central activity of the proposed project will

be an integrated and comprehensive six-week academic program of learning Swahili, history,

culture and society of East Africa. The goal is to enhance the expertise of participants to

adequately integrate African Studies into their professions and ultimately be utilized as a

resource in their future school districts and classrooms. Furthermore, through participation in

the project, it is expected that participants will create an institutional culture of respect for

diverse, multicultural and international ways of thinking – skills that are critical for educators

and students in global context as they impart their knowledge to students and help prepare global

citizens for future professions.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

(1) Enhance participants’ language proficiency of the most-widely spoken African language,

Swahili, and its culture through classroom instruction and immersion activities.

(2) Formulate a broader understanding of the East African historical/political/cultural

context through encountering places and peoples firsthand.

(3) Gain global perspectives by experiencing the language, culture, and

society through building cross-cultural relationships

The project has been designed with these three aims in mind and with the overall goal of creating

African experts and global citizens. Our partnership with the very established MS Training

Centre for Development Cooperation (Trains CLS Fellows) ensures that our participants will get

the very best instruction and area studies expertise on the ground. The in-country activities

include language training, lectures from local experts, visits to cultural and historical sites,

family host stays and opportunities for personal interactions with the people of

Tanzania. Furthermore, the PI, Filipo Lubua, hails from Tanzania and will enthusiastically be

sharing his cultural perspective alongside participants each day. They will even have the

opportunity to continue their language learning with Professor Lubua on their return by

taking Swahili 3 the following semester.

The proposed project addresses the Absolute Priority in that the country of study is in Africa.

The proposal also meets the competitive preference priority 3 and 4 because it provides

substantive training and thematic focus on language and culture and because it focuses on preservice

K-12 educators.
23

University of South Carolina

Indigenous and Disenfranchised Persons in Central America and the U.S.: A cross-cultural 

comparison of language, cultural identity, and educational structures in support of diversityenriched pedagogy

Name of Applicant Institution: University of South Carolina (USC Upstate) 

Name and Contact Information of Project Director: David Marlow, Ph.D., Professor of English and Director of the Center 

for Service Learning and Community Engagement; 864-503-5849; DMARLOW@uscupstate.edu 

Project Type: Short-term seminar project. 

Educational Level and Number of Participants: At least (6) bachelors/masters-prepared in-service K-12 teachers; preservice teachers (undergraduate USC Upstate students); Project Director; and a USC Upstate key personnel member: A 

total of (14) project participants. 

Competitive Preference Priorities Addressed: #1, #4. 

Project Overview: The University of South Carolina Upstate proposes a four-week Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad 

program in Costa Rica and Nicaragua entitled Indigenous and Disenfranchised Persons in Central America and the U.S.: A 

cross-cultural comparison of language, cultural identity, and educational structures in support of diversity-enriched 

pedagogy. A total of 12 in-service teachers and pre-service teacher candidates will participate in the project. Teachers (at 

least six in number) will be recruited from Spartanburg, South Carolina’s “high need” school districts with high proportions 

of ethnically, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students. Pre-service teachers will be selected from USC Upstate 

students majoring in education with a concentration in the humanities, area studies, social sciences, and/or Spanish as a 

world language; preference will be given to students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education. 

The project will emphasize cross-cultural experiential learning that leads to greater understanding of Costa Rica and 

Nicaragua through a cultural diversity lens. This programmatic goal will be accomplished through scholarly exchange, 

interactions with local educators, visits to classrooms and historical sites, immersive cultural experiences, Spanish language 

training, and exposure to indigenous languages and linguistic systems. 

Project Goals: The project will enrich GPA participants’ understanding of Costa Rica and Nicaragua through (1) improved 

cultural competency and global awareness, (2) improvement of curriculum development, lessons, and teaching materials, 

and (3) access to language training. 

Objectives: In-service teachers will focus on their current classrooms for both reflection and material development. Preservice teachers will create materials for their future classrooms and reflect on their current and past experiences. 

(1) Participants will develop at least one classroom-ready activity for Fall 2022 focused on Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and/or 

indigenous peoples (as exit criteria to receive “Certificate of Completion”; Success = at least 11/12 of participants). 

(2) Participants will explore the potential of ongoing virtual connections between their classrooms and classrooms in Costa 

Rica and/or Nicaragua (success = one ongoing virtual connection established in Fall 2022). 

(3) Participants will make connections between challenges facing Central American indigenous peoples and disenfranchised 

populations in the U.S. (as demonstrated in post- reflection essays; success = 11/12 of participants). 

(4) Participants will increase proficiency in the Spanish language through substantive training, listening, and speaking 

opportunities as measured by Spanish language pre- and post-self-assessments and training quizzes. 

(5) Dissemination – Collaborative research shared in academic, pedagogic, and public venues (success = dissemination in at 

least
24

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
25

American Councils for International Education

Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program Fellowships

Project Director: Dr. Dan E. Davidson, President Emeritus and Senior Academic Advisor, American Councils for International 

Education: ACTR/ACCELS (American Councils), 1828 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; T (202) 833-7522. 

Russia continues to play a critical role in the world, as both a preeminent rival to the U.S. and a potential source of vital

collaboration in global efforts to combat terrorism, manage political instability, and address deepening environmental and 

health crisis. However, current data indicates that far too few U.S. students are studying abroad in Russia or the 

Russophone world to develop the linguistic and cultural proficiency required to meet the many geo-political, military, and 

technological challenges emanating from Russia and its turbulent border regions. To address this critical need, American 

Councils is pleased to submit this proposal to the U.S. Department of Education for Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad 

(FH GPA) Long-Term Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Training Projects funding for FY 2021, seeking support for 30 

fellowships for advanced language students participating in the summer or semester Advanced Russian Language and Area 

Studies Program (RLASP) in Moscow, Russia – the heart of the country’s political, economic, and cultural life; or Almaty, 

Kazakhstan – a rich Russophone environment offering students unique insights into one of Central Asia’s most important 

countries, as well as Russia’s ongoing efforts to extend and maintain its regional influence. Program features include: 

• Intensive language classes conducted by leading Russian and Kazakh faculty designed to strengthen reading, 

listening comprehension, and essential speaking skills; 

• Special content-focused seminars exploring Russian or Kazakh mass media, contemporary society, and modern 

politics; 

• Weekly cultural excursions and extended travel to maximize exposure to historical sights and provide additional 

opportunities to interact with peers and host-country nationals; 

• Housing with Russian or Russian-speaking Kazakh host families and weekly meetings with conversation partners to 

maximize linguistic and cultural immersion; 

• Ongoing logistical support, guidance, and assistance from a full-time U.S. resident director with expert knowledge 

of the host-country language and culture; 

• Full academic credit for work completed overseas through Byrn Mawr College; 

• Pre-and post-program reading, listening, and speaking tests to measure linguistic gains; and 

• Active alumni networks to support program graduates in professional networking and career searches, and engage 

them in outreach to potential future program participants. 

American Councils will conduct a national outreach campaign to encourage advanced students of Russian across the U.S. to 

apply. An external selection committee comprising at least two experts in Russian language will review all applications. 

Participants will take part in a pre-departure orientation in Washington, DC, and complete pre-and post-program surveys 

to measure language gains. While American Councils remains confident that COVID-19 vaccine distribution will soon allow 

the resumption of in-person programming, it will maintain a full menu of virtual programming options offering instruction 

and academic credit equal to that of in-person programs. American Councils has also developed extensive protocols and 

policies to minimize the risk of infection and to manage pandemic-related health emergencies abroad. 

The FH GPA fulfills Competitive Preference Priority 3 by providing substantive training and thematic focus on any modern 

foreign language except French, German, or Spanish (Russian). American Councils requests $238,500 from the U.S. 

Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, to fund 30 fellowships: 10 awards for summer at $5,370 

each, and 20 awards for semester at $9,240 each, during the project period (June 15, 2021 – June 15, 2023).
26

American Institute of Indian Studies

American Institute of Indian Studies: Advanced Language Programs in India

Project Director: Professor Rebecca Manring, Dept of Religious Studies, Indiana University,

Bloomington, IN 47405. Email: aiis@uchicago.edu

The objective of this proposal is to continue and further strengthen the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) 

Advanced Language Programs in India (ALPI), which provide intensive advanced-level training in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, 

Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, and other modern languages of India. AIIS is a consortium of ninety U.S. colleges and 

universities that have significant programs on South Asia. Through its junior and senior research fellowship programs, its 

many services to American scholars working in India and to US study abroad programs, its two research archives, and its 

language centers, the AIIS enjoys wide recognition as the pre-eminent institution promoting informed knowledge of South 

Asia in the US. 

This application meets Competitive Preference Priority 3 established by the U.S. Department of Education as the 

AIIS ALPI programs provide superb advanced-level immersion training in ten out of the 78 languages included on the 

Department of Education’s list of Less Commonly Taught Languages, and offer the only well-established programs for 

advanced immersion study in South Asian languages that are rarely taught in the U.S., including Gujarati, Kannada, 

Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. Scholars who have obtained language training with AIIS have been instrumental in 

expanding the scope of South Asian Studies in the US to encompass all areas of India. The GPA-funded fellowships would 

provide maintenance stipends, all program costs and round-trip travel to India to about 22 language fellows who have had 

a minimum of two prior years of study in the target language. These fellows would pay no tuition. 

Building on six decades of experience and with partial support from previous GPA awards, AIIS has created a unique 

infrastructure of language training centers and has assembled a cohort of gifted instructors who are regularly trained in 

current Second Language Acquisition methodology and innovative approaches to language teaching. ALPI language 

fellowship recipients are selected through a national competition. Successful applicants plan on academic careers which 

require proficiency in Indian languages or area studies, or careers in government service, public health, private sector, and 

NGOs. AIIS has been exploring and implementing measures to develop a diverse pool of applicants, including from 

communities that have not typically considered careers requiring proficiency in the languages of India. Each ALPI language 

is taught through an intensive immersion approach, in a well-equipped center located in a city in which the target language 

predominates. Rigorous classroom instruction is supplemented by field trips, community and independent study projects, 

accommodations with native speaker families, and a wide range of cultural and social activities. Periodic evaluations by 

students and teachers, proficiency-based testing, and site visits by language pedagogy specialists and program officers 

monitor students’ progress and enable the fine-tuning of instruction. The success of these methods is demonstrated by 

generations of AIIS-trained teachers and other area specialists, who represent a national pool of expertise that enhances 

our nation’s security as well as its economic, political, and cultural relations with India, and that promotes intercultural 

understanding within the U.S. The relatively low cost of living in India and careful management of finances by AIIS insures a 

highly cost-effective use of the requested GPA funds, which provide only a portion of the total expense of running the ALPI.
27

American Research Institute in Turkey

ARIT Summer Fellowships for Intensive Advanced Turkish at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul

ProjectDirector:Dr. SylviaW.Önder, Turkish andAnthropology, 210 PoultonHall,Georgetown University,

Washington DC 20057, onders@georgetown.edu, (202) 687-6175

Project Type 4: Long-Term Advanced Overseas Intensive Language Training

Number of Participants: 18 advanced undergraduate, graduate students, or faculty

Competitive Priority 3: This project meets the Competitive Preference Priority 3: Substantive Training

and Thematic Focus on Priority Languages: Turkish.

Under this project, we seek to enable 18 university students and faculty to study advanced Turkish through an 

intensive summer language program utilizing the resources and facilities of Boğaziçi University (BU) in Istanbul, Turkey. This 

program was initiated by the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) in 1982 and is designed to provide the 

equivalent of a full academic year course in advanced Turkish. Fellows, recruited nationwide, benefit from direct and 

constant exposure to the language and culture in its native setting, including multiple instructors in daily classroom hours 

of Grammar, Reading, Speaking, and Writing, along with laboratory exercises, work with native-speaker teaching assistants, 

and a full program of Turkish films and lectures. USED grant funds would be used to support the advanced level language 

training of eligible undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty. 

As a US and NATO ally connected to Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East, Turkey plays an important economic, 

political, and strategic role in the region. Institutions in the US have rarely been able to create stable Turkish language 

programs that consistently enable students to reach the advanced levels. The BU program has proven to be an effective 

way to train students to advanced language proficiency useful in academic and other professional careers, allowing them 

to maintain and improve independently. The ARIT Summer Fellowship supports Middle East, Central Asian, and European 

Language and Area Studies Centers in the United States in attaining their primary objectives, that is, to prepare American 

students for teaching and other public and private sector careers related to the region. The program aids scholars from 

fields such as Anthropology, Economics, History, International Relations, Islamic Studies, and Linguistics while forging ties

between the American and Turkish academic communities. Turkish has long been a research language useful to scholars of 

Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Kurdish and other minority groups in the Ottoman Empire and Republic of Turkey – as well as a 

link to the Turkic languages of Eurasia – and has more recently become an important research language for scholars of 

Arab Studies, Security Studies, Migrant and Refugee Studies, and other emerging regional topics. 

Under the directorship of Dr. Sylvia Önder, 113 fellows from 53 institutions have been supported in the 2013-2019 

grant periods. 36 more should be supported in the summer of 2021, including the 2020 pandemic cancellation cohort. The 

purpose of this application is to secure support for this fellowship program for the next year, summer 2022. The project 

would again be administered jointly by ARIT and the American Association of Teachers of Turkic Languages (AATT), with 

administrative and project director support from Georgetown University.
28

University of Arizona

CASA Advanced Arabic Language & Culture Training at Qasid Institute, Jordan

Project Director: Dr. Sonia Shiri, CASA Director, School of Middle Eastern Studies & North African

Studies, University of Arizona Email: soniashiri@email.arizona.edu Tel: 520-626-7667

The Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA), based at MENAS, is seeking funding to support 15 academic-year 

fellowships that will provide study abroad opportunities to Advanced-level students of Arabic aiming to reach the Superior 

level of proficiency (ILR Level 3 and beyond). CASA’s proven training methods and results-driven methodologies are crucial 

for meeting the nation’s strategic, economic and educational needs for advanced-level speakers of Arabic. CASA, a 

consortium of 30 American universities, was formed in 1967 and has since provided advanced-level training in Arabic to 

over 1,700 American students who mostly attended the American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt. Due to safety and 

security concerns, the program moved to the Qasid Arabic Institute in Amman, Jordan in 2012. CASA is administered by a 

Governing Council representing the 30 consortium members and a stateside director who is responsible for all operations. 

In Amman, an Executive Director coordinates the relationship between CASA and Qasid and oversees the daily functioning 

of the program. 

CASA fellows are selected from a pool of applicants that respond to a Nation-wide call. The selection committee, 

consisting of the stateside director and three representatives from the Consortium members, evaluate candidates based 

on their scores on the language proficiency tests, their academic achievements, commitment to the field, and statement of 

purpose. All chosen fellows are American citizens or permanent residents of the US, and CASA adheres strictly to the 

principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action in its admissions. 

CASA proposes a nine-month program beginning with a fall semester that trains fellows in both Levantine Colloquial 

Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic, with courses focused on Jordanian culture and society. Courses are offered at the 

advanced proficiency level in the listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. In the spring semester, the instruction is

completely content-based in areas such as history, economics, literature, politics, and religion. Fellows influence the course 

selection and syllabi. The program offers two components outside of classroom: weekly activities with language partners 

and internship or volunteer opportunities in the community. 

CASA has provided a measure of excellence that other Arabic programs have tried to emulate, thus raising the 

standards of Arabic teaching nationwide. CASA has directly impacted Arabic language education by encouraging other 

programs throughout the country to stress the teaching of aural/oral skills, the development of testing tools for language 

proficiency in all modalities. 

Three factors drive CASA’s success: 1) the outstanding quality of the CASA faculty, 2) the excellence of the highly 

motivated CASA fellows, drawn from the Nation's very finest advanced graduate and undergraduate Arabic students who 

continually push the boundaries of language learning and 3) a commitment to a vibrant, comprehensive curriculum with 

well-defined learning outcomes, proven instruction methods, integrated course materials, and continuous evaluation.