THE UNITED STATES INSTITUTES FOR
SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATORS
1. SUMMARY: This note solicits candidate nominations for the Summer 2012 Study of the United States Institutes for Secondary School Educators. The deadline for candidate nominations to be received in the United States Embassy in Lima is December 30, 2011.
2. OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM:
The Office for the Study of the United States is pleased to invite candidate nominations for the summer 2012 Study of the United States Institutes for Secondary School Educators to take place over the course of six weeks beginning in mid June 2012. Two institutes for secondary educators will be offered. For this program Secondary Educators include classroom teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, and ministry of education officials, among others.
Please note that Study of the United States Institutes are not considered Fulbright programs. This change occurred in FY 2005 when the program changed from the Fulbright American Studies Institutes to the Study of the United States Institutes.
3. INSTITUTE DESCRIPTION:
The Study of the United States Institutes for Secondary School Educators will provide two multinational groups of 30 secondary educators each with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, education, and culture, past and present. The programs will be organized around a central theme or themes in U.S. studies and will have a strong contemporary component. Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, the programs will elucidate the history and evolution of U.S. educational institutions and values. The programs also serve to illuminate contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American society.
The ultimate goal is to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad. The course will take place at the Institute for Training and Development in Amherst, MA, and the second institute will take place at California State University, Chico. As in 2011, THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN LIMA intends that the institute in Amherst, MA will host mainly secondary educators whose primary activities are classroom teaching while the institute in Chico, CA will host administrators (including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, ministry of education officials, and others). In the nomination form, posts are asked to identify which institute they feel their candidate is most suited for. This is intended for informational purposes as THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN LIMA retains the final decision on placement of successful candidates.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit our website to obtain general information about the Institutes. The website address is: http://exchanges.state.gov/academicexchanges/scholars.html
4. OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:
A. Program Funding: Through grants to the host institutions, The program will cover all participant costs including costs for program administration, domestic travel and ground transportation, housing and subsistence, books, cultural activities, mail, and incidentals.
B. Housing and Meal Arrangements: Typically, participants will have a private room with a shared bathroom during the residency portion (four weeks) of the institute, and will share a hotel room during the study tour (up to two weeks). Housing will usually be in college or university-owned housing. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities, though participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own. Full details will be provided once the grants have been approved. It is important that these arrangements be made clear to nominees and that they are comfortable with such housing arrangements, particularly sharing a hotel room with another participant for up to two weeks.
C. Health Benefits: All participants will receive the Department of State's coverage of $50,000 with a $15 co-pay per office visit for the duration of the program. Pre- existing conditions are not covered.
D. Program Requirements and Restrictions: Participants are expected to participate fully in the program. They are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities, and to complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends cannot accompany participants on any part of the program. Candidates should be made aware that this is an intensive institute and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The institute should not be viewed as a research program. It is important that these requirements and restrictions be made clear to all candidates before nominations are submitted.
5. CANDIDATE DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS:
A. Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly-motivated and experienced secondary school educators. The ideal candidate will be a secondary teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum developer, textbook writer, ministry of education official, or other related professional with responsibility for secondary education who is seeking to introduce or enhance aspects of U.S. studies into his/her curricula.
B. The ideal candidate will also be an experienced professional with little or no prior experience in the United States, whose home institution is seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to enhance and update existing courses that include information about the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for education professionals in U.S. studies or related fields. In this respect, while the nominee's professional credentials are an important consideration, an equally important factor is how participation in the institute will enhance teachings and courses about the United States at the nominee's home institution, community, or country.
C. Candidates should be willing and able to take part fully in an intensive post-graduate level academic program and study tour. While senior educators are eligible applicants, the program give first consideration to mid-career professionals and to persons who are likely to be comfortable with campus life and an active program schedule.
6. OTHER FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION:
We invite secondary educators to nominate one candidate per institute (for up to two nominations per country: one for the teacher institute and one for the administrator institute). Please be aware that as a general rule, the program will not select more than one participant per country.
A. Post/Commission Justification: The justification statement is a critical portion of the application, as it offers the post/Commission the opportunity to provide specific reasons why the participation of a nominee is particularly desirable in terms of enhancing the study of the United States at the home institution, or more broadly, in the home country.
B. Candidate Statement: In order to get a better sense of potential participants' motivations and goals, the program requests that each candidate provide a short personal statement (application) indicating why he or she is interested in participating in the program and what he or she expects to get out of the experience. In addition, candidate statements should describe the candidate's capacity/plans to amplify the impact of the institute beyond just their own knowledge and research.
C. English Language Ability: It is imperative that all candidates demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding programs; participants will be expected to handle substantial reading assignments in English and to be full and active participants in all seminar and panel discussions. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute, both for your participant and participants from other countries.
D. Priority Consideration: Priority will be given to candidates who have firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component, who have no prior or limited experience in the United States, and who have special interest in the program subject areas as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties.
7. NOMINATION FORMAT:
Nomination forms will be sent directly to interested candidates that comply with the requirements.
8. Deadline to send the nomination form to the United States Embassy in Lima is December 30, 2011
Jorge D. Rivera
PAS Cultural Specialist - United States Embassy - Lima, Peru
Av. La Encalada s/n cuadra 17, Surco - Lima, PERU
Phone: (51-1) 618-2564 / Fax: (51-1) 618-2725 / Celular: (51-1) 99466-4378
E-mail: RiveraJD@state.gov / jrivera_pe@yahoo.com / jorgedrivera@hotmail.com
Web: http://peru.usembassy.gov/
In accordance with E.O. 12958 this e-mail is UNCLASSIFIED.
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