The 2019 Seminars Abroad application is now available on the G5 website at www.g5.gov.

If you are a new user, click “Sign Up” on the G5 Homepage. Once registered and activated, click on “Package Submission” under Grant Setup. Follow the steps provided, filling out the forms and uploading the necessary files. See the Application package for more detailed directions.

The application deadline is March 27, 2019.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Have at least three years of full-time teaching or administrative experience by time of departure
• Be currently employed full-time in a U.S. school, institution of higher education, local educational agency, state educational agency, library, or museum as a teacher/ administrator
• Be an educator in the arts, humanities, or social sciences (this criterion does not apply to administrators)
• Work at the grade level of the seminar
• Be physically and psychologically able 

IFLE will host a technical assistance webinar in the coming weeks to help teachers, school administrators, and other educators learn more about the 2019 Seminars Abroad Program and the application process. The webinar will provide guidance on how to use the G5 electronic application system, prepare a competitive application, and troubleshoot 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 Maria Chang (maria.chang@ed.gov) to ensure that they are addressed during the session.

The webinar will be pre-recorded and posted on IFLE's YouTube channel. A link to the recording will also be posted on the "Applicant Information" page of the Seminars Abroad website. Check the website over the coming weeks for updates. 

If you have questions about the program or application in the meantime, please send them by email to Maria Chang at maria.chang@ed.gov.

by Joe Russo

I have traveled with other teacher seminars in the past, but the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program is hands-down the best I have ever attended. Fulbright-Hays serves as the benchmark for overseas seminars: highly informative, adventurous, world-changing, paradigm-shifting, and a source for creative lessons to bring home to my students and colleagues.

The Fulbright-Hays experience in Ecuador was transcendent; I still think about Ecuador continually. The impressions that the people, places, and events made will be indelibly imprinted on me for the remainder of my life. Life-changing is really an understatement when referring to the Ecuador seminar experience. Academically, the trip produced reams of material for future lessons for my world history class, and I will share other material with my colleagues who teach world cultures and world geography. The immense variety of activities and lectures throughout the trip were the inspiration for lessons ranging from history to politics to food. I have two full pages of ideas written down and have developed lessons for a third of them.

I loved the mix of Ecuador seminar activities organized around the theme "Examining the Impact of Ecuador’s History, Biodiversity, and Cultural Diversity." Every day was an adventure. What made our itinerary so interesting was that we experienced Ecuador from so many angles—from classical music recitals, to amazing restaurants, to permaculture in the hinterlands. 

I have written a number of lessons whose inspiration came during the trip, such as a lesson on the woman's cooperative in Cotacachi. The opportunity to travel to La Costa (the coast), La Sierra (the central highlands), El Oriente (the eastern jungle), and the Galapagos was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. Every lecture was interesting and quite informative. Reviewing my notes, I was amazed at how much we covered and how much I learned. And I love Quito, a beautiful and cosmopolitan city that should be at the top of anyone's itinerary when visiting South America.

I am talking up Ecuador to everyone who asks me about my trip. I am so, so very, very grateful that I had this opportunity to travel throughout the country with my colleagues and the sublime staff!

Joe Russo teaches history and world geography at Davidson River School in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. Mr. Russo participated in the 2018 Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program in Ecuador.

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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.