Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching - Fulbright Program

Grant Name: Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching

Funding Organization: Fulbright Program

Grant Cycle: December 15

Website: http://www.fulbrightteacherexchange.org/dteIndex.cfm

Email: fulbrightdat@fhi360.org (for questions related to the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching

Eligibility: elementary through high school teachers are eligible to apply. Current full-time guidance counselors, curriculum specialists, curriculum heads, T&G/TAG coordinators, and media specialist/librarians are also eligible to apply. However, not all applicants are eligible for all countries, please see the Participating Countries listing for country specific eligibility requirements.

To meet the basic eligibility requirements of the program, an applicant must meet all of the following seven requirements. Failure to meet any one of the requirements makes a candidate ineligible. At the time of application, a candidate must:

• Be a U.S. citizen;
• Be employed full-time at an accredited school in the U.S. or its territories. For the purpose of determining eligibility, "full-time" refers to applicants who are currently employed full-time by a school or school district. Teachers who hold a combination of part-time jobs which may add up to a full-time equivalent are not eligible;
• Hold a Master’s degree (or be enrolled in a Master’s program at the time the grant begins);
• Be in at least the fifth year of full-time teaching;
• Demonstrate experience conducting and leading professional development activities;
• Have received teaching award(s) or exemplary evaluation(s) by a school administrator;
• Meet current FSB eligibility requirements regarding previous grants. Previous Fulbright recipients who completed a grant of longer than eight weeks in 2007 or earlier are eligible to apply. Previous Fulbright recipients who completed a grant of eight weeks or less in 2010 or earlier are eligible to apply. Applicants must also not have received more than the lifetime limit of two Fulbright grants (eight weeks or more = 1 grant; eight weeks or less = ½ grant).

In addition, nominating schools must:

• Provide a nomination form completed by the school administrator demonstrating interest in having the nominee utilize their Distinguished Fulbright Awards program research to conduct post-program professional development activities in the school, district, or region;
• Provide a statement of assurance on behalf of the local superintendent's office that the nominee may take a semester "sabbatical leave" to participate in the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching program. Although release of candidates with salary is strongly encouraged, teachers are eligible to participate in the program with paid or unpaid leave.

The Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs exchange programs and participants should represent the diversity of American political, social, and cultural life. Diversity should be interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, social-economic status, disabilities, and sexual orientation.

Background: Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching program recognizes and encourages excellence in teaching in the U.S.and abroad. It is part of the overall Fulbright Program, named in honor of Senator William Fulbright, which promotes mutual understanding among people of the United States and other countries. The program sends highly accomplished primary and secondary teachers from the U.S. abroad and brings international teachers to the U.S for a three to six month long program. Participating countries in 2012-2013 are: Argentina, Finland, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

This highly prestigious program will provide U.S. award recipients with the opportunity to study in an overseas research center or university. International participants will gather at a single U.S. university college of education which will provide a broad range of education classes and faculty support. Participants can take advanced undergraduate or graduate level classes, conduct research, design and lead seminars for host country teachers and students, and engage in other teaching related activities. Grantees will propose an action-based research project at the time of application that should encourage cross-cultural dialogue, reflection, and support teaching activities. In conjunction with a host institution mentor, each grantee will design program activities that will enhance the action-based research project and contribute to its successful completion. Upon returning home, teachers will be expected to share the knowledge and experience gained on the program with teachers and students in their home schools and within their communities.