WILMINGTON — The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, currently recognizes 17 international teachers at UNCW who are from 13 different countries.
Dr. Jennifer Fernandez-Villa, UNCW director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, and Dr. Donyell L. Roseboro, UNCW chief diversity officer and professor, were awarded a grant for over $340,000 to oversee the Fulbright program. UNCW has now been selected to participate in this competitive program for four years straight.
With a thorough application process lasting at least a year, the Fulbright TEA members devote six weeks to produce a broader and more informative learning experience in their subject areas. By spending this amount of time on improving their subjects, each are able to strengthen their teaching abilities and deepen their knowledge of the United States.
Structured as a three-part experience, participants take classes on topics including general education and pedagogy; technology; and discipline-specific courses in English, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) and Social Studies.
The second part of the TEA Program allows members to spend a large fraction of their visit doing fieldwork, and shadowing and assistive teaching at New Hanover County high schools.
Cultural enrichment is the third aspect of the program, including everyday tasks like grocery shopping, or exploring the Cape Fear River and attending sporting events on campus. Each teacher is assigned a “Friendship Family” — a local host family that volunteers to support the teachers during their stay.
Dr. Fernandez-Villa described the program as a chance to recognize the many ways the Fulbright TEA teachers have expanded their knowledge and abilities.
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