Deadline: 7 March 2025
The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) program is a six-week exchange program at a U.S. university for secondary school teachers who teach English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), math, science, and social studies, including special education teachers of those subjects.
The Fulbright TEA Program seeks to:
- Equip teachers with a deeper understanding of best practices in teaching methods, content-based instruction, project-based learning, lesson planning, and instructional technology.
- Create among educators a more nuanced understanding of the U.S.
- Develop productive and lasting relationships and mutual understanding between U.S. and international teachers and their students.
- Contribute to improved teaching in participating countries and communities by preparing participants to serve as stronger teacher leaders who, upon returning home, will apply and share their experience and skills with their peers and students.
- Make U.S. students more aware of other countries around the world through interaction with international teachers.
Benefits
- Teachers who are selected to participate in the Fulbright TEA Program will:
- Take part in tailored graduate-level seminars at a U.S. host university.
- Observe classes, co-teach, and share their expertise with U.S. colleagues in U.S. secondary schools.
- Engage in an online professional learning community with other participants to share best practices and other elements of host and home country educational systems; and
- Take part in other educational and cultural activities while on program in the United States.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be citizens of Nicaragua and teach in Nicaragua.
- Current secondary-level (middle and high school), full-time teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), math, science, or social studies including special education teachers in those subjects at institutions serving primarily a local population.
- Teachers responsible for teaching additional grade levels must teach middle or high school students more than 50% of their work time to be eligible.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- Minimum of three years of experience of full-time teaching by the start of program, with a preference for those who have completed at least five years of full-time experience.
- Demonstrated verbal and written English language proficiency.
- Full-time teacher trainers are not eligible.
Selection Criteria
- Fulbright TEA participants will be selected through a merit-based open competition based on eligibility and the criteria below:
- Demonstrated commitment to teaching in the field of secondary education;
- Demonstrated leadership potential;
- Professional and educational experience and achievements;
- Potential for developing long-term linkages between U.S. and home country educational institutions and schools;
- Preparedness (including maturity, flexibility, and ability to function independently) for an intensive U.S.-based training program with very limited free time for personal travel or sightseeing;
- Willingness and capacity to work and live collaboratively with international peers to foster a positive learning community for professional development;
- Articulated ideas for applying program experience to improving secondary education in the home country or territory;
- Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively;
- Verbal and written English language skills sufficient to manage coursework, participate in specialized seminars, and deliver presentations in U.S. schools;
- Applicants who have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S. will be given priority;
- Preference will be given to applicants who are members of or who work with students from underserved communities or traditionally underrepresented groups including but not limited to women, racial, ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from diverse geographic areas of the country;
- Preference will also be given to applicants who have not previously received a Fulbright scholarship.
Application Requirements
- Institutional Support and Reference Form
- Leave Approval Form
- Identification Document
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua.