IREX
International Research & Exchanges Board

Program Overview

The Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA), a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, provides secondary-school teachers from Europe, Eurasia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge about the United States. TEA teachers travel to the United States to participate in a six-week professional development program at a US university. This is followed by a reciprocal visit by US teachers to work on joined teacher-training projects in TEA alumni schools overseas. TEA also provides follow-on grants to the TEA international alumni to purchase essential materials for their schools, offer follow-on training for other teachers, and conduct activities that will build on the exchange visits.

KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

  • Contribute to improving the quality of secondary education in participating countries
  • Develop professional and personal relationships between American and international teachers

PROJECT RESULTS

  • Over 195 educators received professional training in the US
  • Over 51 US teachers took part in reciprocal visits to TEA schools overseas
  • 54 grants issued for collaborative projects between American schools and schools overseas
  • Teacher training conferences in participating countries  

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

  • Teacher Training: TEA participants attend a six- week professional development program at a U.S. university that includes coursework and intensive training in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, teaching strategies, and the use of technology for education.  The program includes a two-week internship at a U.S. secondary school to actively immerse participants into the American classroom environment, and concludes with the End of Program Conference focusing on best practices.  The program builds teacher leadership skills and provides experience that can be shaped for the participants’ home teaching environments.

  • US Teachers’ Reciprocal Visits: U.S. secondary teachers have the opportunity to take part in a two- week reciprocal visit to a participating TEA country where they will be hosted by a TEA fellow.  The US teachers’ program overseas combines opportunities to work with their foreign peers and learn about the host culture – lessons that they can use to promote mutual understanding in their US classroom.

  • Small Grants for Professional Development and Education: In addition to the US based training component of TEA, the program provides small grants to TEA international alumni to conduct activities that develop lasting partnerships among international and American participants.  The creation of professional networks for educators sustains the impact of the program while promoting international understanding and collaboration.

IREX EDUCATION PROGRAMS DIVISION HISTORY

IREX has been working to improve the quality of primary and secondary education around the world for nearly ten years. IREX has also been managing international academic, research, and professional exchange programs since 1968. To date, IREX’s primary school development programs have reached nearly 50,000 students in more than 500 urban and rural schools.  Since 1998, IREX programs have trained 7,000 teachers, school administrators, and pre-service education faculty, developed numerous teacher curriculum and methodological manuals, and established a Teacher Trainer Corps.

For more information about TEA, contact tea@irex.org.

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