Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools

Learn what this program's participants do, how to apply, whether the program is right for you, and how we select participants.

Join a global community of educators and prepare your students for the world.

Program Description

School administrators are key to preparing the next generation with the skills and understanding necessary to address global challenges and succeed in a global economy. Outstanding education leaders develop innovative approaches to issues most important in their communities, share best practices, and build global networks to drive change that benefits all students. Collectively, administrators have a significant multiplier impact as they reach thousands of students across schools and districts.

To support their important work, the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program will send cohorts of U.S. school and district administrators to a participating host country to take part in a 10-day intensive international exchange and professional learning program. As part of the program, in 2024 and 2025 (exact dates to be determined), cohorts of U.S. school and district administrators will spend approximately ten days in a participating host country learning about its educational system and exploring different strategies to prepare U.S. students with the skills and understanding necessary to address global challenges and succeed in a global economy. Previous host countries have included Finland, Germany, and Singapore.

Fulbright Teacher Exchange participants in Finland, 2022 (Photo: Finland Fulbright Foundation)

Is this program right for you?

Participants will travel as a group to one of the participating host countries, where they will participate in school visits, workshops dedicated to understanding the educational system of their host country, and other meetings with host country education leaders, teachers, and students. With a broad potential for impact, current full-time U.S. school administrators with five or more years of experience working in school administration are eligible and encouraged to apply.

The Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program provides roundtrip international airfare, accommodations, meals and incidentals for the duration of the program, supplemental accident and sickness medical coverage, professional learning opportunities, and visits to important cultural places of interest.

Fulbright Teacher Exchange participants in Singapore, 2022

How to apply

The Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program is open to full-time 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).

Learn more about the eligibility criteria

How we select participants

Participants in the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program are selected through an open competition. Applications are reviewed by an independent panel of experts according to a number of evaluation criteria.

In an effort to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of U.S. and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Bureau is committed to fairness, equity, and inclusion.

Learn more about the selection process

Fulbright Teacher Exchange participants in Finland, 2022 (Photo: Finland Fulbright Foundation)

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact FulbrightAdministrators@irex.org