The cohort will travel to Costa Rica for its field study

Educators can now apply to be a part of The NEA Foundation’s 2024 Global Learning Fellowship cohort that will culminate in a 10-day international field study in Costa Rica.

Through the fellowship, public school educators develop the knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily classroom instruction, advocate for global competency in their schools and districts, and help students to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. Fellows transform their classrooms to give students a global perspective.

Over the course of the program, fellows are supported by the NEA Foundation staff, partners, and other field experts as they work through approximately 160 hours of professional development, which includes monthly webinars, readings and reflections, a two-day conference in Washington, D.C., and a summer international field study. Fellows also must complete a capstone project that allows learning from the fellowship to be shared with educators beyond the program.

The field study brings the cohort together to investigate the historical and cultural context of the country they visit and learn about its education system through meetings with policymakers, business and nonprofit leaders as well as visits to schools to meet teachers, students and administrators.

Pualeilani Fernandez, a Hawaiian history teacher at Hilo Intermediate who was chosen to represent Hawaiʻi in the 2023 cohort said, “It’s a great opportunity for any educator in Hawaiʻi. It allows us to broaden our minds and experiences, and hopefully, we can share that with others.”