Join us for a webinar at 3:00pm EDT on July 18, 2017, for technical assistance in preparing your application for the Title VI International Research and Studies Program (IRS) Program. The IRS program provides grants to conduct research and studies to improve and strengthen instruction in modern foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields.

IFLE staff will provide webinar attendees with guidance on using the Grants.gov electronic application system, preparing a competitive application, and troubleshooting technical issues.

In order for the webinar to best serve the needs of all applicants, please submit any questions regarding the competition and application in advance to Cheryl Gibbs (cheryl.gibbs@ed.gov) so that we can be sure to address them during the session.

When:  Tuesday, July 18, 2017 (3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT)

How to Participate:  Register online at https://educate.webex.com/educate/j.php?RGID=r77d5fae6d20acced99db06a643f39df8

Forty-eight U.S. teachers and school administrators were selected in May to participate in this summer's Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad to Bulgaria, Chile, and Thailand. 

The Seminars Abroad Program provides short-term seminars abroad for U.S. educators in the social sciences and humanities to improve their understanding and knowledge of the peoples and cultures of other countries. Educational lectures and activities are designed specifically for the group, including visits to local schools and organizations, meetings with educators and students, and visits to cultural sites. Participants draw on their experiences abroad to create new curricula for their classrooms and school systems back in the U.S.

Three seminars will take place this summer:

• For K-8 teachers: "Exploring the Diverse Culture and History of Thailand"
• For secondary school teachers: "Bulgaria in the Context of Migration and Challenges to European Cohesion"
• For postsecondary faculty: "The Construction of Chilean Identity: Socio-economic, Political, and Educational Reforms"
  

One of this summer's Chile seminar participants is Dr. Lauren C. Johnson, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Diversity and Recruitment Initiatives at the University of North Georgia (UNG). Johnson will travel to Chile to learn about the social, economic, political, religious, and ethnic contexts that have influenced reform processes and social movements in the country. "I'm honored to have been selected for this prestigious program," Johnson said. "Traveling to Chile will be an amazing experience, and I look forward to incorporating what I learn [...] into my courses here at UNG."

We can't wait to see how this year's participants incorporate their experiences abroad into their classrooms, schools, and communities!

The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business has been named a recipient of the prestigious President’s “E” Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce for its efforts to explore and expand global trade and exports in Ohio.

The award recognizes the creation and efforts of Fisher’s Global Trade Network, a collaboration among state and federal agencies, university partners, economic development entities, and small- to medium-sized businesses in Ohio that are focused on expanding their global footprint. The network was made possible, in part, by Fisher’s decades-long partnership with the Title VI federally funded Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).

This spring, the National Resource Center for Asian Languages (NRCAL) at California State University, Fullerton held its first World Languages and Careers Day for middle school and high school students.

This free event gave students the opportunity to learn about the benefits of learning a second language and acquiring cultural competency by interacting with representatives from the fields of business, health, entertainment, education, technology, manufacturing, and transportation. Over 1,000 students, teachers, school district leaders, community partners, and businesses came out for the event. Participating school districts included: Anaheim Union High School District, Westminster School District, Garden Grove Unified School District, and Norwalk-La Mirada School District. NRCAL provided campus tours and for many students, this was the first time visiting a college campus. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback, the center plans to host the event again in 2018. 

Established in 2014, NRCAL is a Title VI Language Resource Center (LRC) focused on the teaching and learning of Asian languages including Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Goals for the LRC project include: conducting research on the effectiveness of Vietnamese dual language immersion; developing instructional materials and assessments for K-16 in the four languages listed above; providing professional development for K-12 and community college language teachers; and community engagement to promote world languages.

Click below to learn more about the network of Title VI Language Resource Centers and the resources they provide to students, teachers, and their communities.

A partnership between Northwestern University's Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) on Africa and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) is virtually transporting local students to South Africa.

Through regular live video conferencing and a microsite continually updated with photos, videos and blog posts, Erik Ponder, a South African politics and history expert working for Northwestern Libraries, collaborated with ETHS social science teacher Aaron Becker to teach local students about South Africa in an engaging and interactive format.

This is Ponder’s fifth interactive educational project on Africa, but the first time he’s had the type of resources provided by the library system, Northwestern Neighborhood and Community Relations and the Northwestern Weinberg College of Arts and Science’s Program of African Studies, which provided critical funding for the project’s implementation through the Title VI NRC grant.  

IFLE is on Twitter with the latest from the world of international and foreign language education. Follow us @GoGlobalED and tell your friends! We'll see you in the Twittersphere!

We're on YouTube with informative webinars and exciting grant program videos. Subscribe to IFLE's YouTube channel to enjoy the latest content!

Have you received a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship or participated in a Fulbright-Hays grant program? Join our alumni groups on LinkedIn!

FLAS Program Alumni          Fulbright-Hays Program Alumni

We want to hear from you! Do you have suggestions for webinar topics? Ideas for things to include in future newsletters? Send them to Carolyn Collins at carolyn.collins@ed.gov.