October 2020
The Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program (SA) provides U.S. educators in the social sciences and humanities with opportunities to participate in short-term seminars abroad to improve their understanding and knowledge of the peoples and cultures of other countries. In 2021, summer seminars will be offered in Iceland, Morocco, and Mexico.
Each thematic seminar features educational lectures and interactive, cultural activities specifically designed for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educators, including visits to local schools and organizations and meetings with education administrators, government officials, policymakers, teachers, and students. Participants draw on their experiences during the program to create new or to enhance cross-cultural curricula for use in their U.S. classrooms and school systems.
Sixteen educators participate in each seminar. The SA program covers airfare, room and board, and program costs. Teacher participants are responsible for a cost-share of $650.
Please note that seminar dates could be postponed until the summer of 2022 due to international travel restrictions that may be enacted in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The FY 2021 Seminars Abroad application is now available on the G5 website at www.g5.gov.
If you are a new user, click “Sign Up” on the G5 home page. Once you have successfully registered and your access is activated, click “Package Submission” under Grant Setup. Following the steps provided, complete and upload the required forms and files. See the application package for more detailed instructions.
The application deadline is Dec. 18, 2020.
Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
The U.S. Department of Education's International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office will host a technical assistance webinar in the coming weeks to help teachers, school administrators, and other educators learn more about the FY 2021 Seminars Abroad Program and the application process. The webinar will provide guidance on how to prepare a competitive application, use the G5 electronic application system, and troubleshoot technical issues.
In order for the webinar to best serve the needs of all applicants, please submit any questions regarding the competition and application in advance to seminarsabroad@ed.gov to ensure that they are addressed during the session.
The webinar will be pre-recorded and posted on IFLE’s YouTube channel. A link to the recording will also be posted on the Applicant Information page of the Seminars Abroad website. Check the website over the coming weeks for updates.
If you have questions about the program or application in the meantime, please send them by email to seminarsabroad@ed.gov.
This article was edited and adapted from an article on Clemson University's Newstand website by Michael Staton.
Beatrice Bailey, professor of social studies education in Clemson’s College of Education, participated in the 2018 Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Program that focused on exploring contemporary U.S.-Poland relations.
After traveling abroad with the Seminars Abroad program, participants return to their home institutions and share their broadened knowledge and experiences with students and colleagues in the U.S. According to Bailey, the true beneficiaries of her experience abroad were her Clemson students, especially undergraduate students in her “Principles of American Education” course. Bailey stated, “I’m charging each student to design a model K-12 Global Citizenship Education activity for a discipline of their choice and grade level that focuses on U.S.-Poland relations. As future educators, they can help students become ‘world changers’ in any discipline or grade level as they encourage these types of activities.”
During her time in Poland, Bailey met ambassadors and experts on international relations, traveled to see historical sites and modern communities, and took part in discussions and cultural events designed to connect specialists from different academic disciplines. Bailey gained insights into the U.S.-Poland relationship and noted the particular affinity between the two countries and their people. “Before this trip, I couldn’t have imagined the kinds of connections we have and could have with Poland, from the wide variety of multinational corporations and think tanks to the international film industry evolving within Poland’s borders. The trip reinforced my belief in Clemson and our entire nation’s need to focus more fully on education from kindergarten to postgraduate work that emphasizes global citizenship.”
Bailey drew upon her Fulbright-Hays experience to develop a curriculum for her students at Clemson. As part of the curriculum, Bailey required her Clemson education students to write letters to Clemson alumna Nicki Haley, who was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) at the time, to share ideas for ways that K-12 students in Poland and the U.S. could work together to address U.N. development goals. Students posted their U.S.-Poland curricular designs on a blog that current and future teachers could use in their own classrooms. “The ideal student in South Carolina and at Clemson is one who is prepared for global citizenship,” Bailey said. “Through our curriculum simulation and correspondence with U.N. Ambassador Haley, we’re showing how any teacher can begin to design ways to encourage global citizenship within their discipline and grade level.”
Bailey’s experience in the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program has been personally enriching as well. “I have remained in touch with several colleagues from that experience,” Bailey noted, and described her overall experience in Poland as “terrific.”
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