Deadline for submission: December 1, 2023

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia is pleased to announce a scholarship opportunity for the Summer 2024 Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) for Secondary School Educators (including teachers, administrators, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, ministry of education officials, and other related-field personals).

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.  Posts, Fulbright commissions, and prospective applicants are encouraged to visit our website page to obtain general information about the Institutes.  The website address is: http://exchanges.state.gov/susi.

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.  A key cultural component of the program involves community service activities, which will provide participants with a first-hand experience of how volunteerism plays a vital role in U.S. civil society.  The program will offer multiple opportunities for follow-on engagement through alumni webinars, grant-funded follow-on projects, social media, and an alumni workshop.

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.

OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

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.

Travel Arrangements:

For all Institutes, the implementing partner (UM) will arrange and pay for international and visa travel, with the exception of Fulbright commissions.  The host institution will provide each participant with a $100 travel allowance.  For Fulbright commissions who are funding their nominees’ participation in the Institute, the commission will be responsible for arranging and paying for their participants’ international travel and visa travel related expenses, as well as providing their participant with a $100 travel allowance.  In all Institutes, the host institutions will cover any travel within the United States during the Institute.

Housing and Meal Arrangements:

Each participant will have a private room but may be required to share a bathroom with a participant of the same gender during the Institute.  Most meals will be provided at campus facilities; participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own.

Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied.  However, while Institute staff will make available special accommodations to the greatest extent possible, participants must be reminded that full participation in all Institute activities is still expected.  Should a participant need to quarantine due to positive COVID-19 test results, accommodations will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Health Benefits:

All participants will receive the U.S. Department of State’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefit, that provides coverage of up to $100,000 with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program.  Pre-existing conditions may be covered up to $100,000, subject to policy exclusions and limitations.  COVID-19 is treated like any other illness under the ASPE policy.  Information on the health benefit program may be found online at https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos.

Expectations: Violations of program rules, U.S. host institution rules, or U.S. local, state, or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.  It is important that these requirements and restrictions be made clear to all candidates before nominations are submitted.

Virtual Program Contingency: Should health, safety, and travel conditions continue to pose significant challenges, the SUSI will pivot to a virtual format.  The virtual program will consist of a minimum of 36 hours of required programming and will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning.  To the extent possible, the virtual programming will include lectures, small group discussions, videos, readings, panels, site visits, assignments, and individual and group activities.  Participants are required to fully participate in the entire virtual program from their home location outside the United States.

Connectivity: Should the program need to pivot to a virtual format, participants would need access to a computer and a stable internet connection.  If a participant does not have a computer or adequate internet access, the University of Montana (UM) will work with the participant to facilitate computer access on an as-needed basis.  Participants would be expected to actively engage in all program activities, and therefore, they should notify immediately the host institution and post of any issues with their online access during the duration of the program as well as any difficulties affecting their participation.

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.
• S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible for these programs.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email a completed SUSI for Secondary School Educators Application Form to PASExchanges@state.gov with “SUSI for Secondary School Educators – Summer 2024” as the subject line.

The application form can be downloaded here.

Deadline for submission: December 1, 2023