Overview and Guidelines

The Fulbright Foundation in Greece will award up to two grants (depending on available funding) to Greek secondary school educators and administrators to attend the 2023 Study of the United States Institutes. 

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 2023; exact dates for each Institute will be communicated in spring 2023. Each Institute includes a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour to another region of the United States. 

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, MT 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.

Candidates are selected on the basis of academic excellence, potential for professional development, civic engagement, extra-curricular activities, and personal qualities/abilities to serve as a cultural ambassador for Greece. All awards are subject to the Fulbright Foundation policies in compliance with the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) guidelines and all governmental regulations regarding visas, immigration, travel and residence.

Eligibility Requirements

• Greek citizenship. Candidates with dual citizenship (U.S./Greek) or permanent residence in the United States are not eligible.
• A degree from a recognized Greek University (AEI).
• A high level of academic achievement, as indicated by academic grades, awards, and recommendations.
• Assignment in the Greek school system at the secondary education level. Primary school teachers can apply if they have extensive experience and training in secondary school education.
• Excellent command of the English language. 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. 
• Preference will be given to applicants who are mid-career and under the age of 45 at the time of application with a minimum of three years of related professional teaching experience.
• Priority will be given to applicants with virtually no prior experience in the United States and to those who are just beginning to teach about the United States.
• Priority will be given to candidates who have firm plans to enhance, update or develop courses and/or educational materials with a U.S. studies focus or component, who have limited recent first-hand academic experience in the United States and who have a special interest in the program subject areas as demonstrated through past teaching, accomplishments and professional duties.
• An effort is made to have both a geographic and gender balance in the makeup of the Institutes.

Grant Benefits

The Institutes are fully funded, with all participant costs covered, including:

• Tuition fees, maintenance allowance and incidental expenses.
• Domestic travel, ground transportation for campus visits during the program, housing and meal arrangements will be provided in the United States by the host institutions.
• Round-trip airfare for international travel from your hometown to destination.
• Limited health and accident insurance (for recipient only). All participants will receive the Department of State's health insurance coverage (A+SPE) · of $100,000 per illness or per injury with $25 co-pay per medical visit, $75 co-pay per emergency entry or hospitalization for the duration of the program. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
• Pre-Departure Orientation.
• Participation in the Annual Awards Ceremony.
• J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa sponsorship.
• Membership in the online global community for all participants of U.S. government sponsored exchange programs (such as the Fulbright program). International Exchange Alumni website
• Invitations for participation in Outreach and Train the Trainers Programs.

International travel will be arranged by the Fulbright Foundation. If the participant withdraws from the program at any time without prior authorization s/he agrees to reimburse the program for any expenses accrued, including costs for air transportation and accommodation.

Terms and Conditions

• Online submission of a complete application package is mandatory.
• A first evaluation and selection will take place at the Foundation prior to the interviews, based on the requirements and aims of the SUSI program.
• A Fulbright Selection Committee will interview candidates on a specific date. Shortlisted candidates will be informed of their interview appointments with the Selection Committee by email. Interviews last for about 15 minutes. Interviews are conducted in English and held virtually.
  
• Candidates will be informed of their nomination status on the day following the end of the interview cycle. Candidates will be designated as ‘primary’, ‘alternate’, or ‘non-selected’. Alternate candidates remain on standby until review and finalization of the overall budget.
• Participants are expected to complete the entire five-week academic program and are expected to attend all lectures and organized activities and to complete assigned readings. Due to the intensive nature of the program, family members or guests cannot be accommodated.
• Teaching methodology and pedagogical techniques will not be addressed in the Institute programs. Since the program is very intensive, there will be little time for personal pursuits unrelated to the program.
• The Institute should not be viewed as a research program, although there will be some time allocated for independent research.
• Participants will be given the option of travelling after the end of their program during the thirty day grace period of the J-1 visa. Travel will be approved only if participants pay all applicable change fees, and provide Fulbright with proof of health insurance coverage for the additional time they will be in the U.S. and their post-program itinerary, including their contact information while traveling and their return flight information to their home country. Post-program travel is considered personal time and the participant is solely responsible for financial coverage and all further practical arrangements.
• Fulbright grant recipients must travel on a J-1 visa sponsored by the Fulbright Program. It is a condition of the visa that, after completion of the academic program, scholars must return to Greece and reside there for two years before being eligible to immigrate or apply for permanent residence or a work permit in the United States. The purpose of the two-year home residency requirement is to ensure that exchange visitors return to their home country and fulfill the exchange objectives of the Fulbright Program to broaden and strengthen mutual understanding between Greece and the United States.

Application Procedures

Application procedure

Once submitted, your - English language - application form will be automatically available to the Fulbright Foundation for review. You will receive a confirmation email in the week following your submission.

The Fulbright office in Athens must receive your completed application including the following documents:

• Fulbright online application form.
• Your CV in English (to be uploaded in pdf. format, max 2 MB).
• Copy of your Bachelor's degree or other degrees earned (to be uploaded in pdf. format, max 2 MB per file) with official English translation. Transcripts are not required.
• Three letters of reference in sealed envelopes. All three letters should be written in English on the recommender's letterhead and should be mailed in sealed envelopes to the Fulbright Foundation, 6 Vassilissis Sofias , 10674 Athens (attn: Greek Program Coordinator). Alternatively, recommenders can send their letters directly by postal mail or by email to the Fulbright Program Coordinator. Reference letters without letterhead or signature are not accepted nor are reference letters delivered or forwarded by the applicants themselves. All candidates should inform their referees that they will need to provide their letters of reference the latest by December 15, 2021. The letters of reference should be written by professors under whom you have studied or pursued research or by someone who has supervised you in your employment.

Contact
Greek Program Coordinator
The Fulbright Foundation
T 210 7241 811/2, ext. 3
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Application Form

The application form for the 2023-2024 SUSI Program is accessible until November 18, 2022: Secondary Educators Application Form

Program Calendar