Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) for Secondary School Educators – Cambodia

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators (SUSIs) are intensive post-graduate level academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign secondary school educators and administrators the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions.  The ultimate goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad.

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators will take place at various academic institutions throughout the United States over the course of five weeks beginning in June 2024.  Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour to another region of the United States.

Program Description

• The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators will provide three multinational groups of 20 experienced secondary school educators (including teachers, administrators, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, Ministry of Education officials, and others) with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, education, and culture – past and present.  The Institutes focus on providing content and materials for participants to develop high school level curricula about the United States.  Two of the Institutes are tailored for secondary school teachers; please note that the Institutes for Teachers focus on content and materials about the United States rather than teaching methods and pedagogy.  The third Institute is tailored for experienced administrators including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, Ministry of Education officials, and others.
• Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, program content will examine the history and evolution of U.S. institutions and values, broadly defined.  The programs will also serve to illuminate contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American society.  The four-week academic residencies will take place at U.S. university and college campuses and will consist of a balanced series of lectures, panels, seminar discussions, readings, workshops, site visits, meetings with practitioners in the field, and cultural activities.  One-week study tours to a different region will complement the academic residencies and showcase the cultural, geographic, and ethnic diversity of the United States.  The program features curriculum based on the study of how America’s foundations and historical development have shaped and continue to inform U.S. politics, economics, and society.
• The University of Montana in Missoula, MT will oversee and administer the three SUSIs for Secondary Educators and will conduct one Institute for teachers which will explore American studies through the lens of democracy and citizenship.  The Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst, Massachusetts will conduct the second Institute for teachers which will explore the ways in which individual rights and social obligations have evolved through American history.  California State University at Chico will conduct the Institute for Administrators and will focus on sociocultural understanding, equitable learning communities, and diversity and inclusion in U.S. education and society.

Program Funding

Through a Cooperative Agreement to the University of Montana (UM), ECA will cover all participant costs, including program administration; domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence, as well as arrange and pay for participants’ international and visa travel costs and travel allowances within set limits and in coordination with posts and Fulbright commissions.  If the program is conducted virtually, ECA will work with UM to provide a technology stipend to participants.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for the program, applicants must:
  • Have no prior or limited experience in the United States.
  • Have firm plans to enhance, update, or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component.
  • Have special interest in the institute topic as demonstrated through past scholarships, accomplishments, and professional duties.
  • Be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly-motivated and experienced secondary school teachers.
  • Seek to introduce or enhance aspects of U.S. studies into their curricula or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for education professionals in U.S. studies or related fields.
  • Demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding programs; participants will be expected to handle substantial reading assignments in English and to fully and actively participate in all seminar and panel discussions.  English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute, both for the applicant and participants from other countries.
  • Be willing and able to fully take part in an intensive post-graduate level academic program and study tour.
  • U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible for these programs.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Cambodia.