The University of Nevada, Reno College of Education and the Northern Nevada International Center have partnered to host 22 teaching fellows from 18 different countries, Sept. 21 through Nov. 4. The six-week stay is part of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA Global) program, supported by a grant awarded for the second consecutive year to the College of Education by the United States Department of State and administered by IREX.
The teaching fellows will attend workshops in the College of Education and shadow mathematics, English and foreign language teachers in middle and high schools within the Washoe County School District. The international fellows will be welcomed to the community by President Marc Johnson at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in the Great Room on the Fourth Floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union.
“It is an honor to welcome experienced teachers from throughout the world to the University and to the College of Education,” said Christine Cheney, dean of the college. “The College of Education has a lot to offer these visitors, and they have a lot to offer us as well. I am pleased that the University and the College of Education were selected as a site for this exchange.”
TEA Global, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, brings secondary school teachers from around the globe to the United States. Countries that will be represented at the University include Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Romania, Turkmenistan, the Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
“We are incredibly excited to have been awarded this grant for a second time,” said Jennifer Mahon, project director and associate professor in the College of Education. “It is not only an opportunity for the fellows to learn about the U.S. and our educational system, but they will also have the opportunity to teach students and community members about their own cultures as well as their own successful approaches to teaching and learning. With people from so many different nations coming, we really will have the opportunity to learn about global issues in a much deeper way.”
The program allows the international teachers to learn different teaching approaches, use technology in the classroom and better understand the education system in the United States, while at the same time sharing their own expertise and knowledge.
“There is no doubt that global knowledge and skills are absolute core competencies for anyone to succeed in the world today,” Mahon said. “The program provides opportunities for our faculty and students to talk with teachers from a variety of countries about issues in education that cross international borders. This is also a wonderful opportunity to increase knowledge and understanding, not only about different cultures, but about different educational approaches that can benefit us all.”
For more information about the event at the University, contact Mahon, at [email protected] or Carina Black at [email protected]. Check out the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program website for more information.