Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program

The Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program sends cohorts of U.S. K–12 school administrators abroad for programs focused on sharing best practices and learning from high-performing systems. Through the program, education leaders develop innovative approaches to the issues most important to their communities.  

Program Description

• In 2026 and 2027, Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools will focus on AI and career readiness. Programs abroad will focus on the following topics: career readiness and building apprenticeship programs,
• Fostering student AI competency to help them adapt and thrive in an increasingly digital society,
• Examining AI and automation and how these technologies will affect future employment,
• Expanding professional development to help teachers integrate AI into their practice, 
• Exchanging strategies for creating clear pathways from vocational and technical education to careers, and
• Exploring how other countries develop partnerships with local industry to meet the needs of their workforce. 

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges include roundtrip airfare, visa support, accident and sickness medical coverage, accommodations, and meals related to the travel portions of each program. Participants receive a stipend to offset costs related to their travel. The stipend is not intended to replace a participant's salary and will vary depending on the host country, duration of program, and other factors. 

Timeline & Activities

Timeline

Applications typically open in December and close in February. Applicants can expect to be notified of their selection status in the summer. Travel may take place during the fall, winter, or spring.

Program Activities

Cohorts travel abroad for 10 days to 2 weeks to engage in a series of enriching activities designed to highlight successful career readiness strategies being deployed. 

Topics will be covered through visits to schools and student apprenticeship programs, presentations and workshops with principals, superintendents, and government officials, and cultural tours.

Group of administrators standing outside the Ministry of Education

 

Eligibility

The Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program is open to full-time secondary-level school and district-level administrators at public, private (secular or faith-based), and charter schools in the United States, a U.S. territory, or within the Department of Defense Education Activity. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program, the applicant must: 

• be a U.S. citizen who resides in the United States, a U.S. territory, or who works on a campus within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
• have five or more years of full-time administrative experience in a middle or high school setting (eligible titles include, but are not limited to: principal, assistant principal, superintendent, assistant superintendent, dean, associate/assistant dean, head of school, director).  
• be employed full-time as a middle, high school and/or district administrator at a U.S. secondary educational institution or school district (including those in U.S. territories, or within the DoDEA). Full-time employment as an administrator is defined as having 90% or more of contracted time spent in an administrative function, such as providing school, staff and/or instructional leadership and developing, implementing, and evaluating district and school systems and policies.
• hold at least a master’s degree.
• NOT have resided abroad for five or more consecutive years in the six-year period preceding the date of application (a candidate who has lived outside the United States, a U.S. territory, or a school associated with the Department of Defense Education Activity for nine months or more during a calendar year is deemed to have resided abroad for that year). 

 

Group of administrators standing outside a school in the United Kingdom

 

Application

The application to to Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools can be found on IREX’s Online Application System. The application includes sections to enter personal and professional demographics, education and certification information, language proficiency, and an opportunity to answer short essay questions about the applicant’s purpose and goals for participating in the program. The short essay questions prompt applicants to describe their reasons for applying, how their participation will enable them to benefit their school communities, how they define 'educational leadership', and what opportunities exist to enhance or develop programs and partnerships to prepare their students for the workforce and a global economy.

Applicants should be prepared to submit a professional reference from their direct supervisor and/or a member of the school board in support of their application. If selected, applicants will need to submit a leave authorization form signed by their employer confirming that they can travel during the program's dates. This form will be provided to selected participants.

Selection Criteria

Participants for the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program are selected through an open, nationwide competition. 

When applications are received by IREX through the Online Application System, each application is screened for technical eligibility. After confirming that applicants meet the eligibility criteria, an independent committee of experts reviews the applications.

Applications will be evaluated for evidence of candidates' demonstrated leadership capabilities, their skills and dispositions for collaboration and communication, and their articulation of how participating in the program will impact learning and education in their school or district.

The independent committee reads and reviews applications and makes nomination recommendations. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board approves all final nominations.

Additional consideration is given to individuals who:

• have had ten or more years of full-time administrative experience in a U.S. K-12 educational institution or school district.
• demonstrate commitment to remaining in U.S. secondary education following their participation in the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program.
• have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• have NOT participated in another Fulbright Program and/or had recent significant professional experience abroad. Professional experience abroad includes study, teaching, research, or professional development. It does not include personal travel, undergraduate study abroad, leading student trips, religious or volunteer trips, service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or serving in the Peace Corps.

While previous participation in a Fulbright Program does not disqualify applicants, the program prefers applicants for whom it would be their first such opportunity.