Deadline: February 28, 2023

Welcome to the 2022-2023 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program  (Fulbright TEA)! 

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2023-2024 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program. This program will provide Cambodian teachers with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge of the United States. 

The Fulbright TEA is a six-week non-degree, non-credit academic program at a U.S. university. 168 international participants will travel to the United States for one of two six-week professional development programs in either in Spring 2024 (Cohort I) or Fall 2024 (Cohort II). Fulbright TEA provides academic seminars on teaching methodologies and strategies, curriculum development, lesson planning, and instructional technology training. Intensive English language instruction will be offered to teachers who need additional practice. The program will consist of general academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, content-based instruction, project-based learning, infusing thematic topics into curriculum, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers. Intensive English language instruction will be offered to teachers who need additional practice. The program will include a practicum of at least 40 hours with a U.S. partner teacher in a U.S. secondary school near the host university to actively engage participants in the U.S. classroom environment. Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided to participants throughout the program. 

After returning home, teachers who successfully complete the program will be eligible to compete for small grant awards for essential teaching materials, follow-on training for other teachers, collaborative projects between participating American schools and their home schools, and other activities that build on the exchange experience. 

Teaching disciplines for the Fulbright TEA Program are: 

• English or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) 
• Social Studies (social studies, civics, history, geography, etc.) 
• Mathematics 
• Science 
• Special Education teachers in the disciplines listed above 

Eligibility and Selection Criteria 

Applicants must: 

• Be current secondary school-level, full-time teachers in a school that serves a primarily local (not expatriate) population; 
• Have five or more years of classroom experience in Fulbright TEA teaching disciplines: English, EFL, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, or Special Education;  
• Be citizens of and residents in Cambodia; 
• Have earned a bachelor’s degree or equivalent; 
• Applicants must submit a TOEFL or other English test score as part of their applications; 

Obtain a minimum score of 450 on paper based TOEFL or equivalent English language examination.  *Please note that candidates do not need to take the test before applying.  If selected after an interview, candidates will be required to take TOEFL iBT test, with financial support from the U.S. Embassy. A limited number of participants with TOEFL scores between 425 and 450, or equivalent, will be accepted for the program into a special cohort with additional English language training included in the professional development program; 

• Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program; and 
• Submit a complete application. 

* Please note that this is a program for practicing teachers of Cambodian students. Ministry of Education officials, full-time principals or educational administrators, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English language tutors, and teachers from schools primarily serving expatriates are not eligible. 

Selection Timeline 

• February 28, 2023: Deadline of Online Application 
• March 2023: Interviews for shortlisted candidates/TOEFL iBT test in Phnom Penh 
• May 2023: Embassy submits nominees to IREX 
• August 2023: Finalists confirm acceptance of award, sign and submit all necessary documents. 
• September 2023: Embassy confirm finalists’ acceptance of award and submit required documents: signed Terms and Conditions for both Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 cohorts and completed participant medical forms for Spring 2024 Cohort only.   

Instructions & Submission Guidelines 

• Please answer all questions on the application.  
• Please type or print in black ink.  
• If a question does not apply to you, enter “N/A” (Not Applicable).  
• Include your full, legal name as spelled on your passport (if available) or other photo identification.  
• Include complete contact information (House number, street number, khum/sangkat, srok/khan, city/province).  
• Write your full name, city, and country in the top right corner of each page.  
• You may attach additional pages if necessary to answer the questions completely.  
• Please indicate in which cohort (Cohort I or Cohort II of 2024) you would prefer to participate in. (Please note that every effort will be made to accommodate your first choice; however, applicants will be considered for both cohorts and placement in your first choice is not guaranteed.)  

Travel:  

IREX will provide all teachers with an international airline ticket. Upon their arrival to the U.S., IREX will reimburse teachers who can afford to pay round-trip travel costs between their home city and the point of departure for the U.S. out of pocket.  

Participants will be given the option of traveling after the end of their program during the 30-day grace period of the J-1 visa. Post-program travel will be approved only if the following conditions are met: participants are in good standing with the program; participants arrange and pay for their own travel and accommodations, including all applicable airline ticket change fees; and participants provide IREX with proof of health insurance coverage for the additional time they will be in the U.S., a post-program itinerary that includes contact information while traveling, and their revised return international flight information. Please note that program elements such as post-program travel are subject to change, given travel restrictions in the U.S. and internationally due to COVID-19. Participants will receive additional information on post-program policies upon arrival in the United States. 

Dependents: 

Dependents are not permitted to accompany participants on this six-week program. 

Institutional Support and Reference Form (ISRF) 

• The “characteristics” section must be completed by the applicant’s supervisor (i.e., school director). A family member may not complete the reference form. Please provide an English translation if it is not written in English (informal translation is acceptable).  
• The “recommendation letter” section must also be completed by the applicant’s supervisor.  
• The ISRF must be signed by the school director. This will confirm that the school supports your participation in this program.  
• The ISRF is required for an online application. There is a section within the online application where you are prompted to print the form. You then need to upload the completed form and reference to the same section of the application for it to be considered “complete.” The Online Application System will not let you submit your application without uploading the ISRF. 

How to apply 

Applicants must submit a complete application through the Online Application System by February 28, 2023. Apply now: click https://fulbright.irex.org/Account/Login  

For more information about Fulbright TEA Program, please visit TEA’s website. 

 Deadline for submission:  February 28, 2023 

Contact Information: Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh; Tel: 023-728-179; Email: PASExchanges@state.gov