STUDY OF THE U.S. INSTITUTES FOR SECONDARY EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS 2019
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Application Form – Word Document
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
The Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Secondary Educators are intensive post-graduate level academic programs with integrated study tours whose purpose is to provide foreign secondary school educators and administrators the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions. The ultimate goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad.
The SUSIs for Secondary Educators will take place over the course of five weeks beginning in early June 2019. There will be three Institutes for Secondary Educators, two with a focus on classroom teachers and the third with a focus on administrators including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, and ministry of education officials, among others. Each Institute will have 20 participants and will include a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour.
IDEAL CANDIDATES ARE:
- Advanced English speakers (certification required by attaching official English language test scores or evidence of studies in an English speaking country)
- No or limited prior experience in the United States
- Highly motivated and experienced mid-career secondary school teachers and/or administrators who have a special interest in the field as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties
- Willing to introduce or enhance aspects of U.S. studies into their curricula
- Available to offer specialized seminars/workshops for education professionals in U.S. studies or related fields
- Likely to be comfortable with campus life and an active program schedule
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 21 at 11:59 pm. Applications should be sent to : USChileExchanges@state.gov
APPLICATION FORM: Application Form – Word Document
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The focus of the Institutes will be on providing content and materials for participants to develop high school level curricula about the United States. Two of the Institutes are tailored for secondary school teachers; please note that the Institutes for Teachers focus on content and materials about the United States rather than teaching methods and pedagogy. The third Institute is tailored for experienced administrators including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, ministry of education officials, and others.
Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, program content will examine the history and evolution of U.S. institutions and values, broadly defined. The programs will also serve to illuminate contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American society. The four-week academic residencies will take place at U.S. universities and colleges campuses and will consist of a balanced series of lectures, panels, seminar discussions, readings, workshops, site visits, meetings with practitioners in the field, and cultural activities. One-week study tours to a different region of the United States will complement the academic residencies. One goal of the study tours is to display the cultural, geographic, and ethnic diversity of the United States. The program features curriculum based on the study of how America’s foundations and historical development have shaped and continue to inform U.S. politics, economics, and society. A key cultural component of the program involves community service activities, which will provide participants with a first-hand experience of how volunteerism plays a vital role in U.S. civil society. The program will offer multiple opportunities for follow-on engagement through alumni webinars, grant-funded follow-on projects, social media, and an alumni workshop at the end of the three-year award period.
The University of Montana in Missoula, MT will oversee and administer the three Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators under the unifying theme of “Liberty, Equality, and the American Dream.” All three Institutes will examine this topic through a different lens, capitalizing on the resources and culture of each location. The University of Montana (UM) in Missoula, MT will host one Institute for Teachers from approximately June 2 to July 7, 2019. The Institute will explore American studies through the lens of democracy and citizenship. The Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst, Massachusetts will host the second Institute for Teachers from June 8 to July 12, 2019. The Institute will explore the ways in which individual rights and social obligations have evolved through American history. California State University at Chico will host the Institute for Administrators from June 5 to July 10, 2019. Within the overarching shared theme, the Institute will focus on access and equity in U.S. education and society. All three Institutes will conclude with one-week study tours that end in Washington, D.C.
OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:
Program Funding: Through a Cooperative Agreement to the University of Montana, ECA/A/E/USS will cover all participant costs including program administration; travel and ground transportation in the United States; housing and subsistence; and book, cultural, mailing, and incidental allowances.
Housing and Meal Arrangements: Participants may be asked to share living quarters during the residency portion (four weeks) of the Institute. During the study tour (up to one week), participants may share a hotel room with a participant of the same gender. During the residency, housing will typically be in college or university owned housing. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own. The host institutions will provide full details to participants in pre-institute communications via email and several webinars at least six-weeks in advance of the Institute.
Host institutions will take care to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.
Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State’s coverage of up to $100,000, with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Information on the health benefit program may be found online at https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos.
Program Requirements and Restrictions: All participants are expected to participate fully in the program. Participants should be made aware of the rigorous nature of the Institute and the expectation that the success of the Institute depends on their full participation. Selected participants must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends cannot accompany participants on any part of the program. Candidates should be made aware that this is an intensive Institute and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The Institute is not a research program.
