Fellows share their perspective not only with their students but also with their schools, districts, and communities. As a result, their students have the opportunity to thrive in our interconnected world.
We welcome applicants who already have global experience, as well as those who have never left the country. The top requirement for this program is caring about the world and sharing that passion with your students.
We also invite you to check out our five questions to jump start your application, which shares more insight into how to craft your application.
Educators who have been nominated by their respective NEA state affiliate for the NEA Foundation’s Awards for Teaching Excellence are eligible and encouraged to apply.
The NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship is dedicated to ensuring diversity in the applicant pool and the selected cohort of educators. This includes diversity in race/ethnicity, gender, geographic location, subject/grade-levels taught, global experience and duration of teaching career. Ideal applicants are those educators who have a deep-seated passion for advancing global competency and preparing students to thrive in the interconnected global age, especially those who are early in their global competency journey.
We will accept a maximum of 51 Fellows for the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship.
We appreciate your patience during application intake and review processes. Please know that we are unable to give decisions over the phone. It will be your responsibility to monitor your email for application updates.
Over the course of 12 months, Fellows are supported by NEA Foundation staff, partners, and other field experts, as they work through approximately 160 hours of professional development. This includes participation in monthly webinars with accompanying readings and reflections, a two-day professional development conference in October and a summer international field study. It also includes completion of a capstone project that allows learning from the fellowship to be shared with educators beyond the program. These professional development hours may potentially be used to fulfill school/district requirements.
The NEA Foundation covers all costs for breakfasts and dinners, lodging, travel, and professional development activities. However, NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows are responsible for the following.
- Securing leave from school (if needed) for fall PD workshop and summer international field study
- Acquiring/updating U.S. passport
- Purchasing daily lunches for international field study (approximately $200)
- Contributing to tips for local guides and bus drivers (approximately $100 total)
A culmination of a year-long professional development program, the international field study enables Fellows to immerse themselves in learning about the education systems, culture, and history of another country during the summer. Past field study locations include China, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Costa Rica.
The 2026 location will be Costa Rica.
