Conference on “Best Practices in ESD” Invitation for Applications

Fulbright Japan is pleased to announce a conference to be held in Portland, Oregon during the period November 1-6, 2009 on the theme "Best Practices in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)."

To access the online application, please visit our website at www.iie.org/ESDteacher. Applications for the Conference on “Best Practices in ESD” must be completed online and submitted no later than September 14, 2009.

The conference will be the inaugural event for a new Japan-U.S. ESD Teacher Exchange Program administered by Fulbright Japan. ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Designed to bring together innovative teachers from Japan and the United States, representing K-12 schools in each country with focused ESD-oriented projects or programs, the bi-nationally fully-funded conference will entail presentations, workshops, and site visits to Portland area ESD-focused schools.

The sharing of "Best Practices" from both countries is designed to raise awareness of ESD-oriented school programs, enhance ESD-related curricula in both countries, and deepen a sense of global interconnectedness between teachers in Japan and the United States in four vital areas of ESD focus: food and sustainable nutrition; environment; energy and resources; and international understanding and cooperation.

The conference seeks a maximum of 15 teacher participants competitively selected from a broad cross-section of the American primary and secondary educational community in order to reflect the rich cultural, institutional, and regional diversity of the United States. Fifteen teachers from throughout Japan will also be selected to take part in this innovative event.

Applicants for the "Best Practices in ESD" conference must meet the following qualifications:
1. Be employed full-time as teachers or administrators at primary or secondary levels (grades K-12); please note that auxiliary personnel (nurses, social workers, guidance counselors, speech pathologists) and university professors are not eligible.
2. Be a U.S. citizen, and resident in the United States or its territories.
3. Be involved in ESD activities in a U.S. school and/or be engaged in ESD curriculum development.

Applicants should demonstrate the following attributes:
1. Experience implementing school activities related to Education for Sustainable Development.
2. Experience implementing or participating in activities related to international exchange.
3. Serious academic/professional interest in curriculum development, teaching methodologies and/or projects and activities related to ESD.
4. Serious interest in international exchange, including Japan-U.S. exchange, as a component of ESD activities.
5. Personal adaptability and flexibility, sensitivity to group dynamics, and the ability to be a team player as demonstrated by the applicant’s recommendations from supervisor(s) and other education professionals.

The Japan-U.S. ESD Teacher Exchange Program administered by Fulbright Japan is jointly funded by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

For more information on the Japan-U.S. ESD Teacher Exchange Program please contact:
Institute of International Education
Ms. Susan Gundersen
Tel 1-888-527-2636
Email ESDteacher@iie.org

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