U.S. Embassy Bangkok invites interested secondary educators to apply to summer 2022 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators which will take place over the course of five weeks beginning in June 2022.
Applicants can download the application form on the U.S. Embassy Bangkok website via this link https://th.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/application-form-2022-susi-secondary-educators.docx
Applications must be received at the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Bangkok no later than Monday, January 10, 2022. Applications can be submitted to one of the following addresses:
Post
Public Affairs Section (Application for 2022 SUSIs for Secondary Educators)
U.S. Embassy Bangkok
95 Wireless Road
Lumpini, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Email
Alternatively, you can email your application to us at Usawadee@state.gov with the subject line, stating “Application for 2022 SUSIs for Secondary Educators_Your Full Name.”
Applicants will be selected for interview based on the criteria below. Interviews will take place at the Media and Cultural Section of the U.S. Embassy Bangkok in January 2022. Candidates will be notified regarding selection or non-selection by April 2022.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators (SUSIs) are intensive post-graduate level academic programs whose purpose is to provide foreign secondary school educators and administrators the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions. The ultimate goal of the Institutes is to strengthen curricula and to enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad.
Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators will take place at various academic institutions throughout the United States over the course of five weeks beginning in June 2022. Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour to another region of the United States. Applicants are encouraged to visit our website page to obtain general information about the Institutes. The website address is: http://exchanges.state.gov/susi.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators (SUSIs) will provide three multinational groups of 20 experienced secondary school educators (including teachers, administrators, teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, Ministry of Education officials, and others) with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, education, and culture – past and present. The Institutes focus on providing content and materials for participants to develop high school level curricula about the United States. Two of the Institutes are tailored for secondary school teachers; please note that the Institutes for Teachers focus on content and materials about the United States rather than teaching methods and pedagogy. The third Institute is tailored for experienced administrators including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, Ministry of Education officials, and others.
Through a combination of traditional, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches, program content will examine the history and evolution of U.S. institutions and values, broadly defined. The programs will also serve to illuminate contemporary political, social, and economic debates in American society. The four-week academic residencies will take place at U.S. university and college campuses and will consist of a balanced series of lectures, panels, seminar discussions, readings, workshops, site visits, meetings with practitioners in the field, and cultural activities. One-week study tours to a different region will complement the academic residencies and showcase the cultural, geographic, and ethnic diversity of the United States. The program features curriculum based on the study of how America’s foundations and historical development have shaped and continue to inform U.S. politics, economics, and society. A key cultural component of the program involves community service activities, which will provide participants with a first-hand experience of how volunteerism plays a vital role in U.S. civil society. The program will offer multiple opportunities for follow-on engagement through alumni webinars, grant-funded follow-on projects, social media, and an alumni workshop.
The University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, will oversee and administer the three SUSIs for Secondary Educators and will conduct one Institute for teachers which will explore American studies through the lens of democracy and citizenship. The Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst, Massachusetts, will conduct the second Institute for teachers which will explore the ways in which individual rights and social obligations have evolved through American history. California State University at Chico will conduct the Institute for Administrators and will focus on sociocultural understanding, equitable learning communities, and diversity and inclusion in U.S. education and society.
OTHER ESSENTIAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:
Program Funding: Through a Cooperative Agreement to the University of Montana (UM), the Department of State (DoS) will cover all participant costs, including program administration; domestic travel and ground transportation; book, cultural, mailing and incidental allowances; and housing and subsistence, as well as arrange and pay for participants’ international and visa travel costs and travel allowances within set limits and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy Bangkok. If the program is conducted virtually, the Embassy will work with UM to provide a technology stipend to participants.
Program Requirements and Restrictions: All participants are expected to participate fully in the program. Candidates should be made aware that they are applying for an intensive program and there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program. The Institute is not a research program. Participants must attend all lectures and organized activities and complete assigned readings. Family members and/or friends may not accompany participants on any part of the program. Please note that Institute curriculum will not formally address teaching methodology and pedagogical methods. If the program is conducted virtually, the same participation requirements apply.
English Language Ability: All candidates must be proficient in English so that they can actively participate in the academic program. Host institutions will take into account that the level of comprehension and speaking ability of participants may vary and will prepare lectures and discussions that meet the highest academic standards while using language appropriate for participants whose English is their second or third language.
Housing and Meal Arrangements: Each participant will have a private room but may be required to share a bathroom with a participant of the same gender during the Institute. Most meals will be provided at campus facilities; participants may have access to a kitchen to cook some meals on their own.
Care will be taken to ensure that any special requirements regarding diet, daily worship, housing, and medical care are satisfied. However, while Institute staff will make available special accommodations to the greatest extent possible, participants must be reminded that full participation in all Institute activities is still expected. Should a participant need to quarantine due to positive COVID-19 test results, accommodations will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Travel Arrangements: For all Institutes, the implementing partner (UM) will arrange and pay for international and visa travel. The host institution will provide each participant with a $100 travel allowance. In all Institutes, the host institutions will cover any travel within the United States during the Institute.
Health Benefits: All participants will receive the U.S. DoS’ Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE) health benefit, that provides coverage of up to $100,000 with a $25 co-pay per medical visit and a $75 co-pay per emergency room visit, for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions may be covered up to $100,000, subject to policy exclusions and limitations. COVID-19 is treated like any other illness under the ASPE policy. Information on the health benefit program may be found online at https://www.sevencorners.com/gov/usdos.
Expectations: Violations of program rules, U.S. host institution rules, or U.S. local, state, or federal laws can be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.
Virtual Program Contingency: Should health, safety, and travel conditions continue to pose significant challenges, the SUSI will pivot to a virtual format. The virtual program will consist of a minimum of 36 hours of required programming and will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. To the extent possible, the virtual programming will include lectures, small group discussions, videos, readings, panels, site visits, assignments, and individual and group activities. Participants are required to fully participate in the entire virtual program from their home location outside the United States.
Connectivity: Should the program need to pivot to a virtual format, participants would need access to a computer and a stable internet connection. If a participant does not have a computer or adequate internet access, the University of Montana (UM) will work with the participant to facilitate computer access on an as-needed basis. Participants would be expected to actively engage in all program activities, and therefore, they should notify immediately the host institution and post of any issues with their online access during the duration of the program as well as any difficulties affecting their participation.
CANDIDATE DESCRIPTION AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators are highly competitive. Priority will be given to candidates who have firm plans to enhance, update, or develop courses and/or educational materials with U.S. studies focus or component; who have no prior or limited experience in the United States; and who have special interest in the program subject areas as demonstrated through past scholarship, accomplishments, and professional duties.
Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50, highly motivated, experienced secondary school teachers and administrators.
Ideal candidates are individuals whose home institution is seeking to introduce aspects of U.S. studies into its curricula, to develop new courses in the subject of the Institute, to enhance and update existing courses on the United States, or to offer specialized seminars/workshops for professionals in U.S. studies areas related to the program theme. While the nominee’s educational and professional credentials are an important consideration, the potential impact and multiplier effect from their participation in the Institute is equally important. Ideal candidates will have little or no prior experience living or visiting in the United States.
As noted above, candidates must demonstrate English language fluency. Institutes are rigorous and demanding academic programs conducted entirely in English. Participants will be expected to read and comprehend substantial written materials and assignments in English and to participate in all seminar and panel discussions fully and actively. English fluency is vital to a successful experience in the Institute, for participants as individuals and to foster a cohesive and interactive group.
Candidates should be willing and able to fully take part in an intensive post-graduate level academic program. It is important that applicants are comfortable with campus life and an active program schedule. Applicants with disabilities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. The program seeks mid-career professionals with little or no prior experience in the United States.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible for these programs.
OTHER FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION:
For additional information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section below:
If you cannot find an answer to your question, please contact us at Usawadee@state.gov with the subject line “2022 SUSIs for Secondary Educators.”
- What degree of English proficiency should I have? All participants must be fully proficient in English; throughout the Institute they will need to fully understand lectures, actively participate in discussions, and read and write assignments in English.
- To what extent do the Institutes for Secondary Educators cover teaching methods and pedagogy? SUSIs for Secondary Educators focus primarily on content, materials, and education related to the United States. The Institutes for teachers typically include a handful of sessions on teaching methodologies; however, these sessions are supplemental to the main focus of the Institute. Teachers more interested in teaching methods and pedagogy rather than U.S. content may wish to apply for the Teaching Excellence in Achievement (TEA) program by contacting tusef@fulbrightthai.org.
- Can a candidate who is a dual citizen (U.S. and country of origin) participate in Study of the U.S. Institutes? U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) are NOT eligible to participate in this program.
- I have been to the U.S. before; would I be disqualified? Candidates with some experience in the United States can be considered for the program. Please be sure to clearly indicate the purpose of your visit(s) to the United States, the year, and the length of your stay as requested on the application form. Preference will be given to nominees with little or no experience in the United States.
- Can family members of U.S. Embassy employees apply for the program? Immediate family members of U.S. Embassy employees are ineligible for this program.
- How much free time/time for independent research will a participant have during the program? There will be some free time during the program as well as some time designated for independent research. However, nominees MUST understand that this is an intensive academic program and they are expected to participate in all lectures, activities, and scheduled events. Participants in Secondary Educator Institutes may, at their own expense, opt to extend their stay in the United States after the close of their program to the extent allowed by visa regulations.
- If a candidate has relatives in the United States, would he/she have time to see them? Because of the intensive nature of the Institutes, participants will not be able to leave the Institute to visit relatives or friends. Participants in Secondary Educator Institutes may, at their own expense, opt to extend their stay in the United States after the close of their program to the extent allowed by visa regulations.
- Can a relative travel and stay with the participant during the Institute? Relatives are not permitted to travel or stay with a participant during the program. There are no exceptions to this rule. Participants in Secondary Educator Institutes may, at their own expense, opt to extend their stay in the U.S. after the close of their program to the extent allowed by visa regulations.
- Can a participant stay after the end of the Institute? Under the terms of their J-1 visas, participants generally have up to 30 days after the end of the program to depart from the U.S. However, the participant must be aware that he/she is responsible for all arrangements and expenses after the end of the Institute and will no longer have Department of State-sponsored health benefits.
- Can a participant arrive early/late for the Institute? The program expects the University of Montana (UM) to arrange flight itineraries so that participants arrive on the Institute start date. Occasionally, flight schedules necessitate that a participant to arrive a day early. These situations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the ECA program officer and post. Participants will have an opportunity to review their flight itinerary before it is booked. Once UM has booked the itinerary, the participant is responsible for making and paying for any itinerary changes if the participant chooses to change their plans.
- Can a participant miss one part or component of the Institute? All participants are expected to participate in all scheduled lectures, events, site visits, trips, and activities.
- How much money will participants need to bring for the program? The Study of the U.S. Institutes cover all costs of an individual’s participation including transportation, lodging, and meals. Generally, host institutions provide for meals through a combination of a cafeteria meal plan and cash allowance to permit participants to cook or eat at local restaurants. Information on housing and meal arrangements will be provided by the host institution six weeks prior to the start of the Institute. Participants should bring their own spending money if they wish to purchase souvenirs or other items during their time in the United States. Participants will receive a stipend to purchase books and research materials while in the United States.
- Will applicants with disabilities be considered? The program welcomes nominations for individuals with disabilities. We are committed to working with our Institute hosts to arrange reasonable accommodations for all participants. While notification of a disability will not negatively impact selection, please identify disabilities in the application so that we can begin working with our Institute hosts to ensure appropriate accommodations.
- If a candidate is chosen as an alternate, what are the chances that he/she will participate in the program? If a selected candidate is not able to participate, the program will choose a candidate from the alternate list, if time allows. Alternates are listed in alphabetical order (not rank) on the selection cables.
APPLICATION FORMAT:
Here is the link to the application form.
In the application form, please identify the Institute for which you are applying to, for example: Secondary Educators.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For questions regarding the SUSIs for Secondary Educators, please send an email to Usawadee@state.gov.
