Teacher's Institute, Institute for Training and Development, Amherst, Massachusetts

It has been quite a few years since Sotiria Tziouri, Teacher of English at the 11th Gymnasium of Ioannina, participated in the Study of the United States for Secondary Educators program at the Institute for Training and Development at Amherst, MA, but her Fulbright experience continues being enriched. The international teachers that make up the SUSI groups create bonds during their 5-week seminar that may last a lifetime. This is definitely true for Sotiria and some of her fellow participants who have stayed connected and set up collaborations throughout.

One such joint project took place between Greece and Poland, organized by Sotiria and Polish delegate and teacher, Marzanna Gromotowicz. Over the course of three years, two groups of 8 Greek teachers each visited Marzanna's school, the V Liceum Ogólnoksztalcące im. Adama Mickiewicza in Częstochowa Poland, and 13 Polish teachers visited the 11th Gymnasium of Ioannina.

It was the Ioannina school with Sotiria as driving force that set up an Erasmus+ program entitled Educational systems and practices exchange: the way to self-improvement*, aimed at the exchange of ideas and teaching methods through job shadowing. Teachers would thrive by learning about different educational systems, observe teaching tools and practices, and get acquainted with the history, culture and surrounding area of their international colleagues' countries and school settings.

Sotiria concludes: "It was an overwhelmingly moving experience which could only happen because Fulbright gave us the opportunity to meet and form strong networking bonds. We are still connected and that is really amazing."

Sotiria Tziouri is a Fulbright Alumna of the 2007-2008 SUSI for Secondary Educators Program

^{Photos: Sotiria Tziouri}

* with the support of