The following links provide teachers with International Opportunities. Teachers should definitely take advantage of available opportunities to expand both, personal and professional sides of life. The following can provide enriching experiences in diverse environments. Learning from others abroad can is one of the best ways to gain professional experience and advance your teaching career while enjoying the benefits of seeing the world because you learn from a different culture while observing similarities/differences from country to country. Taking advantage of international grants will open up new horizons that are filled with excitement and discovery.
Reasons to teach and/or experience overseas educational systems:
Reasons to teach and/or experience overseas educational systems:
- Career opportunities/growth - Most, if not all, of the following organizations will provide you with professional development alongside dedicated and talented teachers across the globe.
- Multicultural opportunities - The following provide teachers with multicultural environments that range from the host country schools to experts in the field of teaching.
- Professional Support - The organizations have teams of energized and highly competent international teachers that help to excel and improve teaching practice and networking around the globe.
- Broadens Knowledge - Experiences help teachers adapt to life and work in a different community and culture. Teachers become internationally minded by embracing many things that unite us, while immersing yourself, learning, and exploring a local culture.
- Global Impact - As a teacher, it is important to bring our teaching practices to better prepare our students in the 21st century by creating global children.
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program - This three-six month program bases participants at university-level schools of education. Participants take courses, lead master classes and seminars, visit local schools, collaborate with each other online and in person, and complete an inquiry project of their own design. This program is open to both U.S. and international teachers.
Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars - The program provides short-term summer study and travel seminars abroad for K-12 U.S. educators in the social sciences and humanities for the purpose of improving their understanding and knowledge of the peoples and cultures of other countries. Locations vary year to year.
Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) - Formerly the ILEP program, this is a yearlong professional development opportunity for elementary, middle and high school teachers to become leaders in global education. It includes an 10-week online course, capstone project, symposium, and 2-3 week international field experience. International teachers should apply to the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) program.
Global Competence Certificate - This is a 15-month online graduate level certificate program administered by Teachers College Columbia University, World Savvy, and Asia Society. The program focuses on various aspects of teaching and learning as related to global competence and includes a two-week summer international field experience.
Fund for Teachers - Fund for Teachers enriches the personal and professional growth of teachers by recognizing and supporting them as they identify and pursue opportunities around the globe that will have the greatest impact on their practice, the academic lives of their students and on their school communities.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) - Each year, NEH offers tuition-free opportunities for school, college, and university educators to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1,200-$3,900 help cover expenses for these one- to five-week programs. Both domestic and international opportunities have been offered in the past, but international funding for future programs is questionable.
Japan-US Teacher Exchange Program for ESD - A fully-funded opportunity to travel to Japan to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries. ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Earth Expeditions - The program consists of seven-credit online-based learning courses (April-December), which include a two-week international field experience. Sponsored by University of Miami of Ohio, this program supports interdisciplinary global learning opportunities in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Can be done as individual courses or part of a Master’s degree program.
National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows - This opportunity is designed to give current K-12 classroom teachers and informal educators from the 50 U.S. states, Canada, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico the opportunity to extend Grosvenor’s legacy of excellence in geographic education. Through the program, exemplary educators are recognized for their commitment to geographic education and are given the opportunity to be actively engaged in finding new ways to bring geographic awareness to their classrooms or informal learning environments through a field-based experience.
Earthwatch Education Fellowship - Fellowships are available for teachers who are passionate about teaching and interested in conservation, environmental sustainability, and lifelong learning.
Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) - Founded in 2007, Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has sent over 1300 teachers abroad on adventurous travel programs. GEEO’s trips are 7 to 21 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. In addition to amazing tour leaders, many of the programs are accompanied by university faculty that are experts on the destination. GEEO also provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators, administrators, retired educators, as well as educators’ guests.
Goethe Insitut Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) - Since 2002, TOP has sought to find the best and most qualified social studies educators and give them the opportunity to experience Modern Germany in the most dramatic way possible: in person.
Primary Source - Primary Source study tours are designed to deepen educators’ knowledge of the world so that they are better able to enhance cultural understanding in their classrooms and communities. Participants travel with other educators who share a passion for world history and cultural exchange.
Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies – Since 1984, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has provided American professionals in academia, government, and business unparalleled educational experiences in the Arab world. The Fellowship projects its participants into the dynamics of Arab-U.S. relations and provides first-hand exposure to the region’s considerable cultural, economic, political, and social diversity pursuant to increased knowledge and understanding.
Turkish Cultural Foundation Study Tour - It is a program for middle and high school teachers combining in-person teacher professional workshops and a two-week field experience in Turkey. It is administered by the Turkish Cultural Foundation and the World Affairs Councils of America.
Korea Society Fellowships - Spring, summer, and fall programs are offered of varying lengths and eligibility. The Korea Society aims to further develop the teaching of Korea in K-12 schools across the U.S, thereby enhancing the overall curricula. The Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for participants to develop a critical and engaging eye into modern day Korea while maintaining proper perspective on the nation’s rich history.
Peace Corps Response - Peace Corps Response provides the opportunity to serve a much shorter term than the traditional two-year Peace Corps commitment. Stints can span from a few months to a year. Teachers are frequently recruited for Peace Corps Response placements because many limited-term positions focus on education. Applicants need not have served in the Peace Corps, but are required to have extensive teaching experience. The Peace Corps pays for your travel and provides a modest living allowance.
Keizai Koho Fellowship Tour - Sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, Keizai Koho offers two-week summer study tours in Japan with a focus on economics, business, and education. Fellows participate in lectures and visit cultural sites throughout the two weeks. A requirement of the program is to create a lesson plan using what has been learned during the study tour -- a small price to pay for a rich educational experience.
NOAA Teacher at Sea - The NOAA Teacher at Sea program provides hands-on learning experiences throughout the year. Teachers join a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research and survey ship to obtain "clearer insight into our ocean planet, a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to increase their level of environmental literacy by fostering an interdisciplinary research experience."