RFAs: Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (Burkina Faso)

The TEA Program is a six-week non-degree, non-credit customized academic program including seminars on new teaching methodologies, curriculum development, lesson planning, and instructional technology. Participants also take part in a practicum in a U.S. secondary school near their host university where they work closely with U.S. teachers and teach, co-teach and present information about their home countries to U.S. students. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support are provided throughout the program.

The Fulbright TEA program will designate one cohort to examine gender in education themes in depth. Applicants interested in this topic will be given the opportunity to self-designate in the application materials.  Please note, however, that not everyone who requests to participate in this cohort will be selected, as the number of slots is limited.

Eligibility Criteria

• Current secondary school-level, full-time teacher in an institution serving primarily a local population.
• Holder of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Five or more years of classroom experience as a teacher of English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), math, science, or social studies, including special education teachers in those subject areas or if teaching additional grade levels, must teach middle or high school students more than 50% of their work time.
• Resident and citizen of the country were applying at the time of application and of program participation.
• Proficient in written and spoken English with a minimum TOEFL paper-based test score of 450.
• Demonstrated commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program.
• A completed application.
• A limited number of participants with TOEFL scores between 425 and 450, or equivalent, will be accepted for the program in a special cohort that will include additional English language training as part of the professional development program.
• Competitive applicants have demonstrated evidence of leadership in their schools or districts.
• The FTEA Program promotes diversity in the classroom and in learning. The TEA Program supports inclusion and strongly encourages teachers with disabilities to apply.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Please note that this is an upper-level university or graduate level academic program for practicing teachers. Educational administrators (such as representatives or officials of the Ministry of Education) and school administrators who do not teach at least fifty percent of their time, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, and teachers from schools primarily serving expatriates are not eligible.
• Applicants who have in the past five to eight years traveled to the U.S. for exchange programs such as Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) or International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) or to other Western countries for professional development will require additional justification as to why they should be selected.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Burkina Faso.