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# 											International Fulbright Educators Return Home with Knowledge to Share After Fall Semester at U.S. Universities 									

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

December 15, 2023

Fifty primary and secondary school educators from 16 countries and territories are returning to their home countries following a semester spent on U.S. campuses and in American school classrooms, with American teachers and students who benefit from the global knowledge and cultural exposure, through a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Teacher Exchange.  

In addition to time spent at the front of the classroom, the educators attended classes at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania; University of Rochester in Rochester, New York; and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.  Their time spent teaching and learning increased  these international educators’ experience, knowledge, and expertise in key education areas like adolescent well-being, digital learning in low-tech environments, artificial intelligence, diversity and inclusion in the classroom, and more. 

The educators gathered in Washington, D.C., earlier this week to share their individual experiences and lessons learned during their time in the United States.  One teacher from the Philippines shared how he collaborated with his U.S. professor to engage middle school students in environmental science and fieldwork.  This research project encourages teenaged students to get hands-on experience in their own community to understand the complexities of nature and the power of technology in mitigating climate disasters.   

Now part of an active network of Fulbright Teacher Exchange alumni, these 50 Fulbright Teacher Exchange participants will continue to build bridges between students and classrooms in the United States and their countries.  Their collaboration will continue through virtual exchanges with their U.S. partner schools and communities in Indiana, PA; Nashville, TN; and Rochester, NY, as they also design and implement train-the-trainer workshops for their peers at home to share best practices and improve education outcomes.   

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program, part of the suite of Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, brings primary and secondary teachers to the United States for a four-month program at university schools of education.  For local American students who get to spend time with the educators, the cross-cultural experience helps foster their understanding of other countries from an early age. 

In 2023-2024, Fulbright Teacher Exchanges will support approximately 400 U.S. and international educators who in turn teach approximately 75,000 students annually.  Over the course of their careers, they will influence more than 1.5 million students.   

For further information, please contact eca-press@state.gov go to Fulbright Teacher Exchanges.   

Applications for programs for U.S. and international educators open December 15, 2023. 

Tags

Bureau of Educational and Cultural AffairsCultural ExchangesDistrict of ColumbiaFulbrightFulbright ProgramNew YorkOffice of the SpokespersonPennsylvaniaTennessee

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