WASHINGTON, D.C. /CitizenWire/ — The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) congratulates 88 secondary school teachers from 29 countries on completing the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program. Experienced teachers from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Venezuela spent six weeks studying in specialized programs at California State University, Chico, California; George Mason University, Virginia; Montana State University, Montana; and Winthrop University, South Carolina.
Launched in 2006, the TEA Program has provided 650 secondary school teachers of English, math, science, and social studies with professional development at U.S. graduate schools of education. The teachers also participate in cultural programs, community service, and volunteer projects.
The 88 teachers will gather in Washington, D.C. for an end-of-program workshop from March 19-22 to share classroom strategies with one another, discuss best practices, and plan for ways to continue to collaborate with U.S. schools once they return to their home countries.
A key component of the TEA Program is participant collaboration with U.S. teachers and students in local secondary schools. TEA teachers help their host school communities expand their understanding of the world by developing joint lessons with U.S. partner teachers and educating students, teachers, and members of their host communities. At the same time, the teachers gain first-hand knowledge of the United States to share with students and fellow teachers in their home countries.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, private-sector, professional and sports exchange programs. These exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes and emerging leaders in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 350 current or former heads of state and government.