Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers

Please contact your local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for specific application deadlines, as they vary by country or territory. 

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers brings international primary and secondary educators to the United States for a semester-long professional development program at a U.S. host university. Participants take part in university coursework, observe and co-teach in U.S. schools, collaborate with U.S. educators, and develop an individual or group educator project. Through these experiences, participants strengthen their professional practice and develop knowledge and skills they can share with students and colleagues after returning home.

Program Description

Distinguished educators who are selected to participate in the program will:

• Design and complete an individual or group educator project of direct relevance to their educational practice.
• Participate in advanced undergraduate or graduate level classes at a U.S. host university.
• Observe classes, co-teach, and share their expertise with U.S. colleagues in U.S. elementary or secondary schools.
• Explore American educational approaches in areas such as STEM, educational technology, Super Intelligence, U.S. history and culture, and workforce preparation.
• Complete an online credential in Super Intelligence that enables critical upskilling for K-12 educators in emerging technologies.    
• Engage in other educational and cultural activities.

Upon returning home, educators will be expected to share the knowledge and experience gained during the program with educators and students in their home schools and communities.

Activities

University Coursework: University staff and an assigned faculty advisor will recommend audit courses to meet participants’ program goals, align with their educator projects, and support the enhancement of their educational practice. The host university will provide coursework on a wide range of topics, including curriculum development, second-language instruction, comparative education, STEM education, workforce preparation, educational leadership, and teaching methodologies, from which participants can choose.

University Faculty Advisor: Each participant will work closely with a faculty advisor. The advisor will be a faculty member or other individual who will provide feedback and guidance as the participant develops his/her educator project.

Technology Instruction: Participants will explore the use of educational technology and emerging technologies, including Super Intelligence, to support classroom instruction, planning, and student learning. Program content will accommodate participants with different levels of experience integrating technology into their educational practice.

Educator Project: Throughout the semester at the U.S. host university, each participant will participate in activities that support the completion of an individual or a group educator project. University program staff and the assigned faculty advisor will assist participants in refining and completing the project.

U.S. School Practicum: Participants are placed in a U.S. elementary or secondary school during their time in the United States, where they will observe classes, co-teach, and share their expertise and information about their home communities and schools. Participants will be paired with a U.S. partner educator to help them learn more about the U.S. educational system and to serve as a guide during their school placements. Host university staff will identify schools near the university campus that are appropriate to each participant’s interests and areas of expertise. Participants will also have the opportunity to arrange their own visits to other classrooms and schools.

Online Professional Learning Community: Each participant will join a virtual global community with other participants to collaborate and share educational practices.  

Weekly Seminars: Participants will join weekly seminars at their host universities to reflect on what they are learning, share expertise and information about their home education systems, develop leadership skills, and address topics not covered in other aspects of the program.

Professional Learning Allowance: Each participant will receive a professional learning allowance to attend a conference or workshop or visit a school or organization outside the host community to further their professional goals.

After successfully completing the program, alumni may apply for grants and participate in global education networks to enhance and sustain the work they began during the program.

Eligibility

If you are currently a full-time primary or secondary educator living and working in one of the participating Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching countries, you are eligible to apply to the program. This includes classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum specialists, library media specialists, special education coordinators, administrators, and others who work directly with primary and/or secondary students at least fifty percent of their time.

In Bangladesh, Brazil, Botswana, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, and Uganda, teacher trainers are also eligible to apply.

Eligibility criteria also include three years of full-time teaching experience or working with students in another capacity appropriate to their professional role, and the ability to travel to the United States for five months.  

Contact your local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for additional information about program eligibility and how to apply.

Fulbright Teachers standing in front of a classroom

Application

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program application includes sections to enter personal and professional demographics, educational and certification information, language proficiency, and an opportunity to answer, in short essays, questions about the applicant’s need and goals for the program, background and experience, and how he/she might leverage the experience for impact in their school community.  

Required Documentation  

• The application also requires the submission of references and certain documentation:  
• Reference form completed by the applicant's supervisor  
• Leave Approval Form completed by completed by the applicant's school director or principal  
• Copy of passport or other photo identification  

Ready to apply? Please contact your local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for information about how to apply, including specific application deadlines, as these vary by country and territory. 

Fulbright Teachers at the Brooklyn Bridge

Selection Criteria

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program participants are selected through an open, merit-based competition. Applications are reviewed by U.S. Embassies and/or Fulbright Commissions in participating countries and nominated according to a range of evaluation criteria, including professional experience, leadership, program fit, and the potential to apply and share program learning after returning home. Preference will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright grant. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board makes final selection decisions.

The most competitive applicants will demonstrate leadership in their schools or districts, as well as leadership or professional experience in areas relevant to current program priorities, such as STEM, educational technology, Super Intelligence, workforce preparation, U.S. history, or American culture.

All nominated applicants will be notified of the selection decision by their local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission.

Ready to apply? Please contact your local U.S. Embassy or Fulbright Commission for information about how to apply, including specific application deadlines, as these vary by country or territory. 

"Besides the professional development that represents this exchange, it was a good chance to be immersed in the American culture, and, what's more American than baseball?"

Carlos Rojas Ortega, English Teacher, Mexico to United States

group of teachers outdoors playing baseball