I was half asleep on the bus one early morning this fall when a tiny paragraph in the Chicago Teachers Union magazine caught my eye. It was a blurb about "funding for teacher experiences aboard" for the coming summer. It sounded too perfect since I was in the middle of completing my application with Invisible Children for the exact dollar amount listed in the grant!
The letter that I received in March stating that I had received the funding for my trip was the confirmation that I needed to go ahead and commit to the 6-week Teacher Exchange Program.
It is empowering to know that I am being supported by donors through this foundation that believe in pouring into teachers as a means to impact student learning. I am thankful for the work that Fund for Teachers does to support teachers to grow in their practice through travel experiences. I firmly believe that a teacher can use an international experience to awaken the classroom by linking cultures and people from around the world.
Teacher Friends, check out this link to learn more about how you can receive funding for an experience aboard:
Here's a list of the 2009 recipients in Chicago. I was moved to tears when I met these people this spring because of their energy, passion for teaching, and desire to bring the world to their students:
Congratulations! Thank you for your committment to children - our country's future.
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