“WE CANNOT HOLD A TORCH TO LIGHT

ANOTHER’S PATH WITHOUT BRIGHTENING

OUR OWN.” –BEN SWEETLAND
1. VISITING INTERNATIONAL FACULTY PROGRAM (VIF)
THE VISITING INTERNATIONAL FACULTY PROGRAM (VIF) IS THE UNITED STATES’
LARGEST CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS. IT IS DEDICATED TO
TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TEACHERS. VIF OFFERS HIGHLY
QUALIFIED TEACHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD SERVING AS TEACHERS AND CULTURAL
AMBASSADORS IN THE UNITED STATES.
A. VIF PURPOSES AND BELIEFS
• IT IS THE INTENTION OF THE VIF TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITIES
WORLDWIDE REAP THE BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM BELIEVES IN
THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
• ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE TEACHER.
• ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE EXPOSED TO A VARIETY OF EXCHANGE TEACHERS DURING THEIR
ACADEMIC CAREERS.
• ALL COMMUNITIES SHOULD HAVE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP GLOBALLY LITERATE
CITIZENS TO HELP BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS IN THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE.
B. HISTORY OF VISITING INTERNATIONAL FACULTY PROGRAM (VIF)
• THE PROGRAM STARTED 19 YEARS AGO. IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1987 AND BEGAN ACCEPTING
TEACHERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO TEACH KINDERGARTEN UP TO GRADE 12
IN 1989. THIS PROJECT IS IN COOPERATION WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. THE FIRST GROUP OF 12 INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS WORKED IN 10
NORTH CAROLINA COUNTRIES AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS. IN 1996, VIF WAS ASKED BY
THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO RECRUIT TEACHERS IN OTHER
SUBJECT AREAS.
2. FULBRIGHT TEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM
SINCE 1946, THE FULBRIGHT TEACHERS EXCHANGE PROGRAM HAS HELPED
NEARLY 23,000 TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO PROMOTE MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
THIRTY COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE PHILIPPINES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN THE
FULBRIGHT TEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM WHICH VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR. SINCE
OUR COUNTRY IS PARTICIPATING, YOU MAY IN THE FUTURE ALSO BECOME A FULBRIGHT
TEACHER EXCHANGE FELLOW. THE PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES IS MANAGED BY THE
PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.
3. INTER-AFRICAN TEACHER EXCHANGES
THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM ARE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR
AFRICAN TEACHERS TO LEARN FROM TEACHING ENVIRONMENT IN OTHER AFRICAN
COUNTRIES AND ALSO AIMED TO EXTEND EXPERIENCES AND WIDEN THE HORIZON OF
AFRICAN TEACHERS BY ENCOURAGING EXCHANGE VISITS TO COUNTRIES OUTSIDE
AFRICA AS WELL. FURTHERMORE, THE PROGRAM IS ENVISIONED TO CREATE CULTURAL
AWARENESS AND TOLERANCE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN DIFFERENT AFRICAN EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENTS.
4. CANADIAN EDUCATORS EXCHANGE
THE CANADIAN EDUCATION EXCHANGE FOUNDATION IS A NON-PROFIT
FOUNDATION WHICH HANDLES BOTH STUDENT AND EDUCATOR EXCHANGES.
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES OFFER EDUCATORS AND THEIR STUDENTS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO BROADEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ONE ANOTHER’S CULTURE,
CUSTOMS AND LANGUAGES. EXCHANGES ARE REWARDING, BUT THERE ARE SOME
FACTORS NEEDED FOR CONSIDERATION.
 IN ALBERTA, TWO KINDS OF EXCHANGES ARE POSSIBLE FOR A POWERFUL
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES. THESE ARE:
• ONE YEAR EXCHANGE- THESE EXCHANGES ENABLE TEACHERS IN ALBERTA TO SWAP
THEIR JOBS (AND HOMES) WITH TEACHERS IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS AUSTRALIA, NEW
ZEALAND, UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES, GERMANY, AND OTHERS FOR A
PERIOD OF ONE YEAR.
• SHORT-TERM EXCHANGES- THESE EXCHANGES WHICH OCCUR DURING THE SPRING
AND SUMMER HOLIDAYS, ENABLE THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO JOB
SHADOW WITH THE COUNTERPART IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.
5. GLOBAL TEACHERS MILLENNIUM AWARDS
ALTHOUGH THIS PROGRAM IS LIMITED ONLY TO PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN THAT THE GLOBAL TEACHER EXCHANGE
PROGRAM CONTRIBUTES TO THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS WORLDWIDE.
THE PROGRAM AIMS TO:
• CHANGE THE LIVES OF UK EDUCATORS, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY BY
ENCOURAGING THEM TO FULFILL THEIR ASPIRATION AND USE THEIR TALENTS IN
INNOVATIVE WAYS;
• ENSUREBENEFITS FOR STAFF AND PUPILS OF UK SCHOOLS AND THEIR LOCAL
COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE DISSEMINATION OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION;
• SUPPORT THE AIMS AND ACTIVITIES OF LINK’S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN SOUTH
AFRICA, GHANA AND UGANDA;
• SET A STANDARD AND DEVELOP A MODEL FOR OTHER SIMILAR SCHEME.
 IT IS INTENT OF THE PROGRAM TO ACHIEVE LEARNING OUTCOMES
AMONG THE TARGET PARTNERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IN TERMS OF:
• INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE AND LIFE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
• BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW UK IS LINKED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
• MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEOPLE AND LIFE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES-
CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES AND BELIEFS IN SHARED HUMANITY
• MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MULTICULTURAL NATURE OF UK SOCIETY-
CHALLENGING OF STEREOTYPES AND EMBRACING OF DIVERSITY.
A GLOBAL TEACHER IN THIS PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED AS SOMEONE WHO:
• THINKS AND ACTS BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY;
• EMBRACES THE WORLD’S RICH VARIETY OF WAYS OF LIFE;
• UNDERSTANDS HOW THIS WORLD IS INTERCONNECTED;
• IS COMMITTED TO MAKING THE WORLD A MORE EQUITABLE PLACE;
• BELIEVES IN EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT;
• HAS PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL SKILLS TO SHARE, AND TO LEARN;
• BRINGS THE WORLD INTO THEIR CLASSROOM, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY;
• ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE AND PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH;
• CAN INSPIRE OTHERS TO ACT AS GLOBAL TEACHERS.