U.S. Embassy Beirut is now accepting applications for the Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) for Secondary School Educators. SUSI programs are intensive post-graduate level academic programs that provide foreign secondary educators and administrators the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. society, culture, and institutions. The goal is to strengthen curricula and enhance the quality of teaching about the United States in secondary schools and other academic institutions abroad. The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Secondary Educators will take place over the course of five weeks beginning in early June 2024. Three institutes for secondary educators will be offered, two with a focus on classroom teachers and one with a focus on administrators, including teacher trainers, curriculum developers, textbook writers, and ministry of education officials. Each institute will have 20 participants and include a four-week academic residency component and a one-week integrated study tour. Should health, safety, and travel conditions pose significant challenges, the program will pivot to a virtual format.
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. universities, colleges, or other academic institutions and will consist of a 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 of the United States will complement the four-week academic residencies. One goal of the study tours is to showcase the cultural, geographic, and ethnic diversity of the United States. The program features curriculum based on the study of
how the United States’ 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 at the end of the three-year award period.
The University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, will oversee and administer the three SUSIs for secondary educators and 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 U.S. history. California State University at Chico will conduct the institute for administrators and focus on sociocultural understanding, equitable learning communities, and diversity and inclusion in U.S. education and society.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Lebanese citizens or holders of the Special Travel Document for Palestinian Refugees issued by the Lebanese authorities. U.S. citizens or green card holders are not eligible to apply.
- Candidates should be mid-career, typically between the ages of 30-50.
- Highly-motivated, experienced secondary school teachers or administrators, curriculum developers, textbook writers, or ministry of education officials are encouraged to apply.
- Candidates should be willing and able to fully take part in an intensive post-graduate level academic program and study tour and be comfortable with campus life.
- Candidates should be fluent in English.
- Ideal candidates will seek to introduce or enhance aspects of U.S. studies in their curricula or offer specialized seminars/workshops for education professionals in American studies or related fields.
- Candidates with minimal experience in the United States may be considered for the program. However, priority will be given to nominees with no previous experience in the United States.
Please click here to apply to the program. Click here to learn more about the program. Applications are due by Monday, December 15, 2023, at 11:59 PM Beirut time. Inquiries can be addressed to BeirutPD@state.gov with the subject line: SUSI-Secondary Educators Program.
As with all programs sponsored by U.S. Embassy Beirut, the U.S. government pays for all major expenses, including roundtrip airfare, shared accommodation during the program, meals, and health insurance. Competition is merit-based, and candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, sex, age, and/or disability.