Art Teach Travel

Calling all teachers.

A few weeks ago I highlighted some amazing opportunities for teachers that I’ve come across in my research. In my article titled, Teachers Have All The Luck, Part 1, I focused on these organizations that make travel for teachers a priority:

GEEO – Global Exploration for Educators Organization (all teachers, administrators and educational staff)

TOP – Transatlantic Outreach Program (Social Studies teachers)

Earthwatch Institute (all current K-12 teachers)

Fund For Teachers (offers grants for teachers)

Professional development, combined with travel, is a win-win situation! Teachers not only have access to travel, but also become involved in important research around the world. These experiences improve our ability to connect with kids as share what we learn in our classrooms. What an exciting time we live in! Please make a note of these amazing opportunities and as I uncover more, I will continue to pass them on to you. If you are not a teacher, will you please forward this post to the teachers you know?

The Teachers for Global Classrooms Program  is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs made available by the non-profit IREX. It is a professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers, with a minimum of five years experience, from the United States. Disciplines including ESL, English Language Arts or Literature, Social Studies, Mathematics, or Science work well with all they hope to accomplish. The goal of TGC is to provide teachers with the skills and experience to promote global education in their classrooms and schools. TGC features an online course aimed at globalizing U.S. classrooms (CEU credits available), two Global Education Symposiums in Washington, DC, and international travel. Participants are selected through a national, open competition. Application cycles are announced in late fall or early spring, pending funding. Again, mark your calendars to check on this around the holiday season this year! This would be an amazing opportunity!

Since 1980, the Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs)  in cooperation with the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) has sponsored a Fellowship tour to Japan for educators in the U.S. and Canada who teach Economics, Social Studies or History. The Fellowship allows teachers to learn first hand about contemporary Japanese society and enhance their classroom teaching of global perspectives. Highlights of the fellowship include visits to Japanese schools, major companies, and industrial facilities. In addition, sightseeing excursions are planned to allow the fellows to learn about Japanese culture and society. 2013 applications will be available in November. Good luck!

The American Councils for International Education administers an Educational Seminars program. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds grants for U.S. school teachers and administrators. Outbound exchanges are short term (2-8 weeks), and take place during the summer in the U.S. The focus is on the sharing of best practices and professional development. Inbound exchanges take place during the school year so that host participants can provide shadowing opportunities and professional development so that international educators can see U.S. schools in action. 

Educational Seminars are designed to provide U.S. and international partner administrators, teachers and students with opportunities to learn more about each others’ countries, educational systems, teaching methodologies, culture and society, and to initiate collaborative projects with international partner schools and communities. To apply, teachers must have a minimum of 3 years experience as an educator in U.S. The required subject areas are dependent on the specific programs in Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Thailand and Uruguay. Many specific questions about the program can be answered here. 2013 application deadlines will be announced on their website in the fall of 2012, probably in October. Please bookmark this website and continue to look for the deadline.

Both middle and high school Social Studies teachers and administrators can apply for a 16-day study tour with the Korea Society’s Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies program. This tour of the Republic of Korea is offered each year and provides United States educators an opportunity to experience the richness of Korean culture and history by gaining invaluable hands-on experiences. The fellows attend talks on Korean history, culture, language, society, and politics by some of the world’s top experts in Korean studies. Exploration in and around Seoul to sites such as the Ch’angdok Palace, Hyundai Heavy Industries Complex, and the Demilitarized Zone also provide opportunities for learning as tour lectures are conducted by visiting scholars. After several days in Seoul, the fellows take to the road to see some of the most important cultural and religious sites in Northeast Asia. Deadlines regarding the 2013 Summer Fellowship will be available on their website toward the end of this year. Mark you calendars now to check back in December! What a fantastic opportunity!

One of my most treasured Christmas gifts this year was from a colleague who made a donation in my name to Heifer International. Their mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth, usually through gifts of livestock and training. This organization offers several opportunities for teachers. Their Study Tours for Educators in Honduras gives participants the opportunity to become immersed in the cultures and lives of Heifer project participants by witnessing the root causes of hunger. This one-week tour allows participants to see Heifer’s approach to sustainable development in action. Another program, Heifer U for Educators is a four-night professional development program designed for educators to learn about Heifer’s work and available resources. This program, held in Arkansas, focuses on education outreach programs that can be used to motivate students to contribute sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. Applications for Heifer Study Tour for Educators and Heifer U for Educators are now being accepted. All applicants that are accepted will receive a grant that pays for all program fees excluding travel.

It is Labor Day weekend here in the USA and many of us have the day off tomorrow. Why not take a few minutes to put these deadline dates into your calendar? With a little bit of effort you could soon be planning a trip for next summer with very little costs to you. If you aren’t a teacher, please forward this blog (www.artteachtravel.com) to your friends who are teachers. Enjoy the weekend. Look beyond the now and visualize your hopes for the future.