Peabody becomes first university sponsor of Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program

topics: Leadership, Policy and Organizations

Melanie Moran, VU News Service

Peabody College has launched two new international Fulbright fellowship programs to bring international educators to the U.S. for a year of study.

"Peabody has a strong tradition and excellent reputation in delivering professional development programs for practitioners," Xiu Cravens, assistant dean for international affairs, said. "With 20 experienced educators from 13 countries here with us, these two programs bring global dialogues and mutual learning to our campus. We hope the added international dimension will enrich the experience of all involved."

Participants in the programs were recognized in an event Sept. 2 in the Wyatt Center Rotunda that included Board of Trust Emeritus member Rodes Hart, Dean Camilla Benbow, Vice Provost Timothy McNamara and representatives from the U.S State Department.

The educators are participating in two new international programs, the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, both supported by the Congressional Fulbright Programs.

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program, launched this fall, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through the Academy for Educational Development. The newest of the Fulbright programs, it sends highly accomplished primary and secondary teachers from the U.S. abroad and brings international teachers to the U.S for a semester-long program. Participating countries are Argentina, Finland, India, Israel, Singapore and South Africa.

Peabody College was selected as the program's first host university. Kristin L. McGraner, Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, is directing the program.

"The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching program is a distinctive and important new piece of the Fulbright Commission's portfolio. In addition to completing academic coursework and school-based practica, fellows develop their own capstone research projects," McGraner said. "Peabody faculty and program staff work with fellows to generate projects that are intellectually rigorous and deliberately focused on local needs within the fellows' home countries. Our ultimate goal is high impact in the advancement of cross-cultural learning and educational improvement in fellows' home countries."

During their year at Peabody, teachers will enroll in graduate level classes, conduct research, lead classes and seminars for U.S. teachers and students, design and complete a capstone project, and may team teach or guest lecture at local secondary schools or at the graduate level. Upon returning home, they will be expected to share what they learned with teachers and students in their home schools and with their communities.

Participants were selected by the Department of State and the Academy for Educational Development and were approved by the William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, which is the independent, presidentially appointed board with oversight responsibility for all Fulbright academic exchange programs.

The second new Peabody international program is the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. Through this program, Peabody is hosting seven educational leaders from developing and emerging countries over the course of the 2009-2010 academic year. The fellows are leaders in fields such as higher education, secondary education and program evaluation and this year hail from Colombia, Jordan, Malawi, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia and Swaziland.

During their year at Peabody, Humphrey Fellows will design and plan their activities and interests for the fellowship year and plan to implement what they learn in their home country; participate in a weekly class about the U.S. education system; audit up to two classes per semester and participate in a variety of training and professional and cultural development activities.

The Humphrey Program is a Fulbright exchange activity and is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Co-sponsors include other governmental agencies, multinational organizations and private donors. The Institute of International Education assists the U.S. Department of State in program administration. Nancy DiNunzio directs the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at Vanderbilt.

The Humphrey Program was initiated in 1978 to honor former-vice president Hubert Humphrey. It brings accomplished mid-career professionals from developing nations anda emerging democracies to the U.S. for an academic year to study, gain related professional experience and foster cultural exchange. More than 3,700 men and women have been honored as Humphrey Fellows. Seventeen major universities in the United States host Humphrey Fellows.

Former Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright created the Fulbright programs in 1946 to promote mutual understanding among people of the U.S. and abroad. More than 261,000 scholars have participated in Fulbright programs.