Description
The Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition for one cooperative agreement to design, implement, and oversee the Office's Fulbright Teacher Exchange Programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. Fulbright Teacher Exchanges advance American competitiveness by engaging K-12 educators in international exchanges that allow them to learn cutting-edge educational practices and develop innovative programs that prepare their students for careers that support U.S. economic and security interests at home and abroad. For more than 80 years, Fulbright Teacher Exchanges have offered opportunities for American K-12 educators to demonstrate U.S. prominence and expertise to peers abroad in areas including the arts, humanities, STEM and technology. Furthermore, U.S. Fulbright Teacher Exchanges advance American interests by providing upskilling to American teachers to increase K-12 expertise in technology, especially AI and the critical minerals industry, and to prepare their students for careers in fields critical to U.S. security and prosperity. Programming supports American teachers to expand STEM coursework in fields such as earth science, data analysis, and geology to meet the need for student specialization in critical minerals and rare earths in the U.S. market. The program also integrates a wide range of fields that advance the Administration’s America First priorities and related Executive Orders, including expanding career readiness programs, promoting digital freedom, and increasing K-12 expertise in technology education, especially the use of American-designed AI. Through Foreign Fulbright Teacher Exchanges, U.S. university schools of education showcase American leadership in education and educational technology to visiting teachers who return home with enhanced pedagogy, leadership skills, and technology training. Foreign teachers expand the use of American-designed AI and other U.S. technology in the global market, promoting digital freedoms and developing leaders who value America as their partner of choice. Fulbright Teachers’ participation in these programs has a powerful multiplier effect, influencing millions of students around the world over the course of their careers. Fulbright Teacher Exchanges comprise a suite of shorter and longer-term program models to accommodate the schedules of U.S. and international educators. The Presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) is responsible for the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program and establishes policies and procedures that govern the Fulbright program, including overall policy guidelines and selection criteria. The FFSB is responsible for the final selection of all Fulbright candidates. Organizations must ensure compliance with all FFSB policies and procedures and fully and properly identify this program as both a Fulbright Program and a U.S. Department of State Program in all communications. ECA reserves the right to fully fund, partially fund, or not to fund a given program component, and to adjust or request new program models if foreign policy priorities change. The amounts listed for each component are provided below to enable applicant organizations to prepare budgets for planning purposes only and are subject to change, pending the availability of FY 2027 funds. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.