Global lessons know no borders. This fall, through the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, 49 public school educators will begin a journey to further their comprehension of issues of global significance and ability to bring the same into the classroom.
New Jersey is extremely proud of 2020 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year and Haddonfield High School teacher, Kimberly Dickstein Hughes, and Bergen County Vocational and Technical—Teterboro campus teacher, Jonathan Lancaster, for being chosen to represent our great state, as NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows, when they travel to South Africa in 2022.
“I am extremely proud that the NEA Foundation has named Kimberly Dickstein Hughes and Jonathan Lancaster as fellows in their Global Learning program,” said NJEA President Sean M. Spiller. “Our country and our world constantly changes and our educators are constantly adapting instruction so our students can be prepared to understand and to thrive through global competency and cultural literacy. Knowing how passionate and committed these two educators are, this is an amazing opportunity for them both to gain greater knowledge and to broadly impact student learning by turn-keying it to their colleagues. Preparing our students to be successful on a global level is critically important and New Jersey’s public schools will continue to lead in this area. Again, I congratulate Kimberly and Jonathan on this tremendous honor.”
“I am grateful for all of the New Jersey Education Association, New Jersey Department of Education, Rutgers University, Eastern Regional High School, Voorhees Township, and Borough of Haddonfield teachers who have taught me that the world is our classroom,” said Dickstein Hughes. “Cultural competency and global literacy have a home in every school, and I’m excited to learn and grow with the 2022 Global Learning Fellows. Thank you to The NEA Foundation for making this possible. Here’s to a year of study together and next summer in South Africa!”
“I am grateful and honored to have this opportunity to continue integrating global competency and global perspectives into my classroom,” said Lancaster. “I am ecstatic to share this experience with my school, community, and – most of all- my students.”
Through the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, Dickstein Hughes and Lancaster will develop their knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily classroom instruction, advocate for global competency in their schools and districts, and help students to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. Fellows transform their classrooms to give students a global perspective.
Over the year, Dickstein Hughes and Lancaster will participate in a professional development program that includes in-person workshops, online coursework, webinars by leading experts, peer learning, and an international field study experience.
“This was a powerful experience for me an individual and as a teacher… All educators should realize the power of global thinking.”
Dickstein Hughes and Lancaster will then get the opportunity to apply their global professional development training through a hands-on international study experience. In their field-study country, Dickstein Hughes and Lancaster will interact with local educators, students, administrators, and policy-makers; make school visits; and hear from business and non-profit leaders. The NEA Foundation partners with EF Educational Tours, a global leader in international education, to design transformative field study experiences for the Fellows.
Dickstein Hughes and Lancaster, as well as educators, from 42 states and a Department of Defense School will join a learning network of more than 300 educators, growing their expertise through workshops, peer collaboration, and field studies. With teachers of color comprising a third of the fellows and over half teaching at Title 1 schools, the 2022 fellows reflect the diversity of the educator community. They also serve a wide range of students across several subject areas. Get to know all of the 2022 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows by visiting neafoundation.org.
Enrich Your Classroom Experience with an NEAF Grant Today!
As educators prepare for the new school year, the NEA Foundation is pleased to announce new rounds of grants available exclusively to educators! These grant opportunities promote equity, foster student success, and provide educators with exciting professional development opportunities. The Foundation presently offers three types of grants: Envision Equity Grants, Student Success Grants, and Learning & Leadership Grants to help meet the unique needs of public school educators and students. The application process is easy and can be completed online!
The deadline to apply for the upcoming round of grants, is October 15. To learn more about all of our grant opportunities, please visit neafoundation.org. Also reach out to the Foundation’s grant staff if you need any help to prepare your grant application! We’re here for you!