Washington -- The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs staff at The Center for Academic Partnership (CAP) at AED has been busy this summer and fall.  In September and October, they organized, facilitated, and implemented two conferences: one in Portland, Oregon, for 60 participants, and the other at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee for 90 participants.  The teachers involved in these conferences come from two distinct Fulbright programs:  the Classroom Teacher Exchange (CTE) program and the Distinguished Awards in Teaching (DAT) program.

The conferences brought together international teachers from eight countries, representatives from U.S. schools, and Fulbright program alumni to attend and participate in working sessions -- led by speakers and facilitated by AED staff -- which focused on teaching methodology, the education system in the United States, special education in public schools, parental involvement, and classroom management.  As part of the conferences, participants also had the opportunity to conduct observation visits to local schools.

R-L: Maggie Hug (CAP's Fulbright Programs Project Director), Robert Bishop (an American school administrator from Starkville, Mississippi), Shenandoah Sampson (a CAP Fulbright Program Officer), and Edgar Peña (A Fulbright Teacher from Mexico, who is working in Starkville).

Evaluations from the teachers show that the conferences were a great way to stimulate and encourage dialogue among participants about working and living in the United States.  Further, teachers noted that the conferences also contributed to their professional development.  One participant wrote that, "It has been such a fantastic growing experience networking with mentor educators…and international teachers." 

The Fulbright Teacher Programs staff is responsible for the promotion, recruitment, evaluation, selection, placement and monitoring procedures, as well as the planning and implementation of eight orientation programs for teachers from the United States and fourteen other countries.

The Fulbright team at CAP is looking forward to the next selection cycle of international and U.S. teachers for the CTE and DAT programs, which begins in November.  Please contact Phil Perrin at pperrin@aed.org or (202) 884-8061 if you would like more information about the CTE and DAT Fulbright programs.