US Embassy Teacher Academy - US Mission to Germany

Overview

The Embassy of the United States of America is offering multi-year funding for the organization and implementation of an annual, nationwide teacher training seminar for educators on the high school level, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, senior, junior, and future teachers, as well as textbook editors in Germany. The seminar will focus on subjects such as English, American Studies, history, and the social sciences. Special attention will be given to “Quereinsteiger” teachers, who will be teaching in the English-language classroom without rigorous university training in American Studies.

Input and materials should go beyond textbook content. They should significantly deepen the participants’ understanding of U.S. society and help them strengthen democratic values in the classroom. Expert speakers should focus on, for example,

1.  balanced and broad political, historical, and cultural content
2. current developments in the U.S.
3. issues and measures related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEIA) to foster an appreciation of individual differences
4. innovative concepts to combat global challenges such as climate change and to modernize our educational, social, and economic systems
5. concepts to strengthen the transatlantic partnership that involve the next generation.

Through their participation in the seminar, project participants should be empowered to provide their students with relevant, current, and profound insights into U.S. related content.

The successful applicant (the “implementer”) should have a deep understanding of Germany’s federal educational landscape and school curricula in 16 German Länder in subjects that cover U.S. related content, among them predominantly English as well as history and the social sciences. The implementer should serve as a bridge between schools and the university and should be able to update teachers on state-of-the art research in American Studies and pedagogy conducted on the University level.

The format of the teacher training seminar should include expert input via lectures, interactive workshops, and informed discussions. Participants should immerse themselves in an English-language environment as an alternative to an actual study tour to the U.S. The implementer should utilize technology where appropriate and state-of-the-art educational methods in conducting immersive and effective sessions. The implementer should look to integrate American voices into the program that cover a breadth of perspectives and experiences.

The implementer should expand on existing expert networks and recruit speakers with a fresh and innovative viewpoint for the seminar. Speaker logistics will be administered by the implementer in cooperation with the Public Diplomacy (PD) section of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates. The implementer should also include designated measurement and evaluation procedures in their project design so the Embassy can continually assess project implementation quality and effectiveness.

Cost Sharing or Matching:  Applicants are not required to include third party funding in their project proposals, but applications with cost-sharing will be given special consideration during merit review.

Number of awards anticipated:  1

Proposed programs should be completed in 36 months or less.