Exchange Programs
The Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program
Program Overview
The Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. TEA will provide 156 secondary school teachers from Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and the Pacific, the Near East, South and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge of the United States. The international participants will travel to the United States in two cohorts of 75-78 teachers each. Their program will include coursework and intensive training in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, and teaching strategies for the participants’ home environment, as well as the use of computers for Internet research, word processing, and a teaching tool. The six-week program will also include a two-week internship at a secondary school to immerse participants in the U.S. educational system and encourage a deep exchange of experiences. Trips to U.S. cultural sites and academic support will be provided for participants throughout the program.
In spring and summer 2011 a cohort of 78 U.S. teachers may reciprocate the visits of the international teachers. Each U.S. teacher will be hosted by a TEA alumni school in the participating country where they will team-teach, discuss best teaching practices, curriculum, and educational issues in the host country. The trip can include visits to local schools and parent committees and local government offices.
Also, TEA will provide follow-on grants to the international teachers to purchase essential materials for their schools, to offer follow-on training for other teachers, and to conduct other activities that will build on their exchange experience.
Program Provisions
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J-1 visa support
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a pre-departure orientation held in Tashkent
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round-trip airfare to and within the United States
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a Welcome Orientation in Washington, D.C.
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academic program fees
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accident and sickness insurance
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housing (generally shared with other program fellows) and meals
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transportation to the internship school (if necessary) and
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a book/professional development allowance
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a closing seminar hosted by one of the TEA host universities in the U.S.
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the opportunity to host a U.S. teacher for two weeks, and the opportunity to apply for follow-on grants
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the opportunity to apply for follow-on grants
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
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Be secondary-level, full-time teachers with five or more years of classroom experience in either English as a Foreign Language, Social Sciences (social studies, civics, history, or geography) or Math and Sciences;
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Be citizens of Uzbekistan;
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Have proficiency in written and spoken English; and
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Commit to teach for at least five years after completion of the program.
The deadline for the 2010 Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program Application has already passed.
