BY BONNIE BRACEY SUTTON
This week, November 12-16, marks the 13th annual International Education Week (IEW) – an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of the U.S. Government’s effort to promote mutual understanding through international educational exchanges that prepare Americans for a global environment and that attract future leaders from abroad to study and learn in the United States.
There are other ways that you can be involved in international work. Some of it can be in your classroom, acknowledging the cultures and people who live and work in your area. But maybe there is not so much diversity in your school or community,
There may be a museum where you can study culture. I live near the museum on the mall in Washington DC
Ethnology
- African Voices
- Arctic Studies
- Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely
- Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People
- An Alutiiq Dance
- Beluga Whale TEK
- Crossroads of Continents
- “Dear Young Girl”
- DNA & the Peopling of Siberia
- Frost: Life and Culture of the Sámi – Reindeer People of Norway
- The Living Yamal
- Looking Both Ways
- St. Lawrence Gateways Project
- The Search for a Past (Saami)
- Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga
- Yup’ik masks
- The Canela Indians
- OK dive in….
You can start with the geography of a pencil lesson. See the geography awareness week resources.. that are a part of the GAW.
As a teacher you can do an Earthwatch Grant. I have done a few. It changes your perception about the world. It will open your eyes to the world.
Teachers who travel bring back to their classrooms all of the experiences they had and passions they felt to inspire students and make global content come alive. By applying for grants, teachers can get these unique globe-trotting learning opportunities partially or fully funded. Edutopia has gathered stories and snapshots from teachers who have received such grants to travel.
After each teacher’s tale, you’ll find the details for how you can apply to the Fund for Teachers, the Earthwatch Institute’s Education Fellowships, the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program, the English-Speaking Union of the United States’s British Universities Summer School Program, and others.
New Earthwatch Expeditions in 2013
Earthwatch is delighted to announce nine New Expeditions for 2013. If you’ve ever wanted to travel the globe, now is the time. As an Earthwatch volunteer, you’ll help world-renowned scientists conduct important field research on hands-on projects that will change your life, and our planet, forever!
Volunteer with Earthwatch and plan your next adventure today! Download the 2013 Guide, search our expedition pages, or contact us for more details.
I always started school with a potluck dinner, where people came to meet the other families in the classroom, we bought recipes and shared ideas. We ate from our grandmother ‘s kitchen and talked about “summer in a jar”. Here is the web site for the Accidental Science of Cooking, ( You will LOVE it.)
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International education strengthens ties between the United States and countries around the world, and international students—here or Americans overseas—enrich classrooms and communities with their culture, their knowledge, and their diverse backgrounds.I taught in a variety of schools, here and overseas. Working in DODDS schools or ECIS, you see the world from a different perspective and it makes you a better citizen of the world. There are long journeys of the mind, such as the Fulbright experience. I treasure the enriching idea of working, learning and being in another country with guidance and being involved in education. I had a Fulbright Hayes Scholarship to India.
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The way I was immersed in the Fulbright was through my love of the Smithsonian Museum. Years ago they had an Aditi Festival on the Mall. I was excited to learn and to expiore ideas about India.
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the Fulbright Program, competitively selected U.S. citizens may become eligible for scholarships to study, conduct research, or exercise their talents abroad and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States. The first participating university in the United States was George Washington University in Washington, D.C.The Fulbright Program is one of the most prestigious awards programs worldwide, operating in over 155 countries.[1] Forty-three Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes (including two in 2010, Peter A. Diamond and Ei-ichi Negishi) and seventy-eight have won Pulitzer Prizes.[2] More Nobel laureates are former Fulbright recipients than any other award program.[citation needed]The program was established to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.The Fulbright Program provides 8,000 grants annually to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university lecturing, and classroom teaching. As of 2010, 300,000 persons—114,000 from the United States and 188,000 from other countries—have participated in the program since it began.In each of 50 countries, a bi-national Fulbright Commission administers and oversees the Fulbright Program. In countries without a Fulbright Commission but that have an active program, the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy oversees the Fulbright Program.The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors the Fulbright Program from an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress. Additional direct and in-kind support comes from partner governments, foundations, corporations, and host institutions both in and outside the U.S.[1]
The Open Doors 2012 report reaffirms the United States as the top destination for international students. Out of nearly 21 million students in two year or four year colleges or universities in the United States, 764,495 students are international students. This is an increase of 6% over last year! Through sharing ideas, perspectives, and experiences, U.S. students and local U.S. communities benefit from having international students in their classrooms and on campuses.
Open Doors
Open Doors shows that 273,996 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit during academic year 2010-2011. Notably, U.S. students who study abroad are choosing increasingly diverse locations overseas—including China, India and South Korea—in addition to the historically “traditional” destinations in Europe. After studying abroad, American students return home with new perspectives, skills, and relationships, which they use to help strengthen their communities and advance their careers.
Students with experience overseas gain the international knowledge, skills, and self-reliance that are needed to compete in today’s globalized economy.
The IEW 2012 website includes messages from U.S. and international leaders, as well as promotional materials, interactive features, and opportunities to post and view planned events celebrating international educational exchanges around the world. ***IEW is on Facebook! Help us reach our goal of reaching 10,000 fans before the end of IEW by liking our Facebook page today! You may also follow Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock on Twitter (@AnnatState) and use hashtag #IEW2012 to join the discussion and get updates on IEW.***
Check out our video: International education takes you places! made with photos submitted by YOU! If you have questions or comments regarding IEW please contact us at Feedback@state..gov.
Thank you for your support of International Education Week!