As we approached the Fulbright Foundation in Bogota,I found myself giddy with excitement.And when I saw the familiar Logo,My heart skipped. Next January,I have been given the opportunity to go Greece with a Fulbright for Distinguished Teachers Award.I have taken a six month sabbatical from my district, and although I will miss my students I will return as a stronger teacher. This is the third Fulbright I have applied for, the second one I have actually received. In 2000 a Fulbright brought me to Greece. I was a young artist exploring gender issues, issues of equity, identity, culture...Looking at tradition and norms of communication.
'Recontextualizing the daily ritual ' was the title of my research project'
The Fulbright not only brought me to Greece, to my ancestral lands, it also opened up the world to me. I traveled to over 27 countries, making art doing performances, Teaching... I had to honour to represent Greece at the Venice biennial in 2003.
I would've never done any of this, without that Fulbright.
Today I'm an award-winning teacher, I was Maryland TOY in 2017 and National Finalist in 2018. It was the global competencies that I developed as an traveling international artist that lead me to becoming the excellent urban educator I am today. And this year the TGC program allowed me to see the importance of those experiences and reflect on my present practice.
Teachers for Global Classrooms provides an invaluably reflective Educational tool as part of its preparation for travel. Educators need to partake in these opportunities in order to learn to open their classrooms and hearts of their students to the world.
At the Fulbright office in Colombia, Executive Director Adriana Gaviria Duque welcomed us “Colombian “style and proudly shared the amazing initiatives Fulbright is doing in Colombia.
There are over 250 Fulbrighters that get exchanged every year.
Apply!
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