UNC Hosts 21 International Secondary Teachers from 20 Countries
October 15, 2019
The University of Northern Colorado is hosting a group of 21 international secondary teachers from 20 countries who are participating in the Fulbright Teacher Excellence and Achievement Exchange Program (Fulbright TEA).
UNC’s College of Education has implemented funded international teacher-exchange programs like this since 2008. This is the first year UNC has received funding for the Fulbright TEA that includes participants from multiple countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burma, Colombia, Ghana, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.
Above: The group of 21 international secondary teachers from 20 countries who are participating in the Fulbright Teacher Excellence and Achievement Exchange Program at UNC this semester.
Photo courtesy of Jesus Sanchez.
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and administered by the International Research & Exchange Board (IREX). The exchange program has three major goals including:
- Enhancing teachers’ expertise in education and specifically in teaching English as a foreign language and Special Education by providing participants with a deeper understanding of best practices in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, and multiple uses of technology when implementing instruction;
- Developing productive, lasting relationships and mutual understanding between the U.S. and the Fulbright teachers and their students, as well as with members of our community; and
- Contributing to the improvement of teaching in the participants’ countries by preparing and supporting participants to serve as teacher leaders who will apply and share experiences and skills with their peers and students.
Participants arrived in early September and will stay on campus until Oct. 28. While participating in the program, they are enrolled in four specialized courses, attend secondary schools weekly and participate in various cultural and social activities on and off campus.
“Implementing the Fulbright TEA program benefits the international teachers, our UNC teacher candidates and our secondary students in District 6, as well,” said Madeline Milian, Ed.D., a professor in the UNC School of Teacher Education. “The international teachers are learning to teach using more student-centered methodologies and increasing their knowledge of technology and working with students who may encounter learning difficulties.”
Many UNC students learn about education in other countries and how English is introduced and taught in the countries where the Fulbright participants teach, she said
For more information about the Fulbright TEA program, please contact Milian at madeline.milian@unco.edu or 970-351-1683.
