Fulbright Application

F U L B R I G H TTEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM

ARGENTINA • F INLAND • INDIA • ISRAELMEX ICO • MOROCCO • S I N G A P O R ESOUTH AFR ICA • UNITED K INGDOM

D I S T I N G U I S H E D F U L B R I G H T A W A R D S I N T E A C H I N G

2O11 2O12Take courses for professional development, teach, and design an action-based research project in another country.

For more information, please contact the Academy for Educational Development. Minority candidates are encouraged to apply. T: 202.884.8061 E: fulbr [email protected] W: www.fulbr ight teacherexchange.org

The Fulbr ight Program is a program of the Uni ted States Department of State. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

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The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program for international educational exchange, was proposed to the U.S. Congress in 1945 by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, with the purpose of promoting “mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries of the world.”

From left to right: President Harry S. Truman, Senator J. William Fulbright, Assistant Secretary of State William Benton

PROGRAM Overview

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program became part of the Fulbright-Hays Act (the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act) which was signed by President Kennedy in 1961. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government designed to increase mutual understanding of the people of the United States and people of other countries. The Fulbright Program provides participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching program recognizes and encourages excellence in teaching in the U.S. and abroad. 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. This program provides U.S. award recipients with the opportunity to study in an overseas research center or university. International participants gather at a U.S. host university school of education, which will provide a broad range of education classes and faculty support. Participants take graduate level classes, conduct research, lead classes and seminars for host country teachers and students, and engage in other teaching related activities. During the program Distinguished Teachers work towards the completion of an action-based resarch project of their own design. The teachers are placed at a local K-12 school, where they team teach or guest lecture in classes. Upon returning home, teachers are expected to share the knowledge and experience gained on the program with teachers and students in their home schools and within their communities.

PROGRAM Overview

Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities; primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the Program’s inception, approximately 294,000 participants, chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential, have been afforded the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared concerns. Currently, the Program operates in approximately 155 countries worldwide.

The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions in foreign countries and the United States also contribute financially.

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PROGRAM Administration

The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB), composed of 12 educational and public leaders appointed by the President of the United States, formulates policy for the administration of the program, establishes criteria for the selection of candidates, and approves candidates nominated for awards.

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, develops policies to assure fulfillment of the purposes of the Program and administers it with the assistance of binational commissions and foundations in 50 countries, United States Embassies in 100 other countries, and a number of cooperating agencies in the United States. The Office of Global Educational Programs is responsible for administering the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program.

Fulbright Commissons draw up the annual program plan for exchanges, in consultation with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, participating schools, and organizations in the host country. They also screen, interview and recommend to the FSB qualified candidates for grants. In Singapore, the partner organization is the Ministry of Education. In a country without a Fulbright Commission, the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy develops the program and supervises it in-country.

The Academy for Educational Development (AED), under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State, administers the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program and the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program.

OTHER FULBRIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

The Fulbright Program also offers grant opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to travel, study, conduct research and work abroad.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM IS PERFORMED BY SEVERAL ENTITIES IN THE US AND ABROAD:

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

fulbright.state.gov

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PROGRAM Benefits

BENEFITS TO Teachers BENEFITS TO Schools & Communities

THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, TEACHERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE, STUDY AND UNDERTAKE AN INDEPENDENT PROJECT ABROAD, AN EXPERIENCE WHICH HAS BENEFITS FOR THE TEACHERS, THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.

• Opportunity to design and develop an action-based research project and to share that experience with communities at home and abroad

• Increased understanding of host country, language and academic field

• Opportunity for a career-enhancing experience which allows teachers to gain new perspectives, be exposed to new teaching methods, develop new curricula, and share professional expertise

• Opportunity to develop lifelong friendships and professional relationships and to become a member of an international community of Fulbrighters

• Increased global awareness on part of students taught by returning Fulbright teachers

• Increased expertise in the teacher’s academic field and area of research

• Opportunity for the returning teacher to lead professional development seminars for colleagues and give presentations at conferences and workshops

• Improved cross-cultural awareness due to interaction with Fulbright teachers

• Opportunity for increased awareness of diversity of ideas, values, world views, and ways of life

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BENEFITS TO Schools & Communities

Applying to the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program

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DEADLINE

All applications for the 2011-2012 academic year must be submitted electronically. A printed copy of the full application with all references must be sent to AED and postmarked by December 15, 2010.

Eligibility RequirementsElementary through high school teachers are eligible to apply. Current full-time guidance counselors, curriculum specialists, curriculum heads, talented and gifted coordinators, and media specialists/librarians are also eligible to apply, as long as they spend at least 50% of their time directly interacting with students. Please see the Participating Countries listing on page 14 for country specific eligibility and language 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 degree 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 2006 or earlier are eligible to apply. Previous Fulbright recipients who completed a grant of eight weeks or less in 2009 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 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.

DECEMBER 15, 2010

Re-applicantsPrevious applicants are eligible to apply for the program. All repeat applicants must submit a current application form and sabbatical support form in order to be considered. However, repeat applicants need not submit the two additional references, provided those on file were submitted within the past year. Repeat applicants will be advised if additional information or interviews are necessary.

Previous Fulbright GranteesPreference will be given to candidates who have not had previous Fulbright grants. However, recipients of a semester or year-long Fulbright grant are eligible to receive another Fulbright grant five years after the

• Recipients of a short-term grant are eligible to receive another short-term grant two years after the completion of the preceding short-term grant.

Number of AwardsThe maximum number of any combination of basic Fulbright grants for Scholars and Teachers is limited to two with the following conditions and exceptions:

• A student grant does not count toward this lifetime limit.

• A short-term grant (two months or less) shall count as ½ of a basic Fulbright grant for purposes of counting in a lifetime limit and shall not exceed two in a lifetime.

date of completion of the previous grant. The five-year requirement between two grants does not apply to short-term grants, which are defined as grants of under two months duration. Waiting periods with regard to short term grants are as follows:

• Recipients of a short-term grant are eligible to receive a semester or year-long grant two years after the date of completion of the preceding short-term grant.

• Recipients of a semester or year-long grant are eligible to receive a short-term grant two years after the date of completion of the preceding basic grant.

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Following the application deadline in December, AED conducts a technical review to screen all applications for eligibility and for any information missing in the application. Eligible applications are forwarded to Selection Committee panelists. The Selection Committees, consisting of program alumni, teachers, and administrators, evaluate candidates for their professional qualifications, motivation, seriousness of purpose, adaptability, and commitment to the program as evidenced in their written applications, particularly the action-based research project proposal. The Committee then recommends selected applications for further consideration and approval by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB). All candidates will be notified of their status in March.

Applicants are chosen to represent a broad ethnic and geographic diversity. Preference is given to applicants who have not previously participated in the program, and may be given to applicants who have not previously lived in the host country. Where applicable, preference is given to veterans. Applicants not recommended for participation in the program may re-apply for any future program cycle and will receive full consideration.

Teachers selected for the program will be required at their own expense to have a physical examination (as will any accompanying dependents). Final FSB approval is contingent upon a favorable review of the candidate’s medical report. Selected teachers are required to participate in a mandatory pre-departure orientation in mid-August in Washington, D.C.

Timeline

DATES DESCRIPTION

December 15, 2010 Application deadline

January 2011 Applications screened for eligibility

February 2011 Selection Committees review applications and recommend candidates

March 2011 All applicants are notified of their status by AED

August 2011 Mandatory orientation in Washington, D.C. for selected teachers

SCREENING & Selection

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Terms of the Award

The terms of the award for Distinguished Fulbright Teachers vary from country to country. Specific country information can be found on pages 14-15.

• Monthly Maintenance Allowance: Teachers are granted a leave of absence or sabbatical from their full-time teaching job and a maintenance allowance is provided to cover living expenses while abroad. The amount of the allowance varies depending on the length of time abroad and the cost of living in the host country.

• Roundtrip International Airfare: Full roundtrip travel expenses for Distinguished Teachers will be covered by the grant. All travel costs for dependents are the participants’ responsibility. Passport fees are also the responsibility of the applicant.

• Orientation Program: The U.S. Department of State will pay for all orientation costs, including travel to/from Washington, D.C. in August 2011, as well as food and lodging for the grantee only. Grantees will be responsible for all costs for any dependents (as applicable).

• Insurance: Modest supplemental health insurance coverage will be provided to teachers selected for an exchange. Please note that accompanying dependents are not included in this coverage. However, additional coverage for the grantee and/or accompanying dependents may be purchased through private insurance providers.

Grant ActivitiesSelected teachers will be affiliated with a host university or institute abroad, where they will be able to 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.

HousingHousing arrangements are the responsibility of grantees. In many cases, the host university or the Fulbright office in the host country will provide assistance to locate suitable housing.

GRANT Details

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Participating Countries

DEPENDENTS: Permitted; not funded.

LANGUAGE: Spanish proficiency required; fluency preferred.

FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States of America and Argentina. Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.fulbright.edu.ar.


LANGUAGE: No requirement.

FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.usief.org.in.


LANGUAGE: Hebrew or Arabic is strongly recommended.

FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: United States-Israel Educational Foundation. Please see the Foundation’s Web site at: www.fulbright.org.il.



FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: Finland-United States Educational Exchange Commission. Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.fulbright.fi.

ARGENTINA

INDIA

ISRAEL

FINLAND

DATES: September through December or March through August.

DATES: September through November or January through March.

DATES: Mid October through mid January or mid February through mid June.

DATES: January through June.

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LANGUAGE: Spanish proficiency required; fluency preferred.

FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational & Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS). Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.comexus.org.mx

MEXICO

DATES: September through June.

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COUNTERPART AGENCY: Ministry of Education, Singapore. Please see the Ministry’s Web site at: www.moe.gov.sg


LANGUAGE: Arabic or French is strongly recommended.

FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: Moroccan Commission for Educational & Cultural Exchange (MACECE). Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.macece.org.



COUNTERPART AGENCY: U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs section. Please see the embassy’s Web site at: www.southafrica.usembassy.gov/fulbright_program.html.



FULBRIGHT COMMISSION: U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission. Please see the Commission’s Web site at: www.fulbright.co.uk

SINGAPORE

MOROCCO

SOUTH AFRICA

UNITED KINGDOM

DATES: End of December through end of May.

DATES: September through June.

DATES: Mid January through mid May

DATES: September through July.

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Can I apply for countries not listed in the application?No. Although the list of participating countries may change periodically, you may only apply for countries listed in the application for the year that you apply.

Do I have to speak a foreign language to participate in the program?If you are applying to:

• Argentina or Mexico, Spanish is required

• Israel, Hebrew or Arabic is strongly recommended

• Morocco, Arabic or French is strongly recommended

Who pays me while I’m on exchange? AED provides a maintenance allowance for the teacher that will cover costs such as tuition, lodging, food, professional development and transportation. All expenses for dependents are the sole responsibility of the participants.

Will there be any cost to my school?No. Participants may take a leave of absence or sabbatical with or without pay for the length of their grant.

Where will I live while I’m on exchange? Living arrangements will differ based on the country of your exchange and your host institution. Fulbright Commissions or U.S. Embassies in the host country will assist in finding suitable housing arrangements.

Can I take my family on exchange with me? Yes. Many exchange teachers take their families on exchange, though there is no additional funding allowance to cover dependents’ expenses.

How long is this program?The length of the program can be from three to six months, depending on your action-based research project proposal and the proposed length of time to complete your project.

Is there an age limit? Can I apply for an exchange after I retire? There is no age limit for participating in the program; please see page 10 for a complete list of eligibility requirements.

When does the exchange take place?Exchanges can be scheduled throughout the year depending on the host country. Please see individual country listings for more details.

FREQUENTLY ASKED questionsq

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Fulbright Application

Documents

Transcript of Fulbright Application