International Education Week (IEW) is the United States Department of State’s initiative to expand horizons, make connections, and establish mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. IEW carries out this mission through a week-long celebration that encourages American students to explore opportunities for studying abroad and international students to explore options to study in the United States through exchange programs. International Education Week 2024 took place from November 18 to 22.
Fulbright ETAs in Indonesia are in the ideal position to celebrate IEW, as they are current participants in an exchange program and can attest to opportunities for exchange in the United States. The celebration of IEW aligns with the six goals of the Fulbright ETA program in Indonesia. This cohort of ETAs had the first and unique opportunity to propose IEW initiatives and receive additional funding to supplement their efforts. In this month’s special edition, we hope to highlight some of the ways ETAs celebrated IEW in their communities.
ETA Alyssa Guiang celebrated IEW in Tomohon by hosting an informational English club. Alyssa invited two alums to share their experiences as exchange program participants in the Community College Initiative (CCI) Program in the US and ETA in Indonesia. Alyssa also incorporated IEW into the school’s celebration of Teachers’ Day by highlighting programs in the United States for Indonesian teachers and welcoming yet another CCI Program alumnus.
Alyssa said, “I think this week is a great opportunity to inform students and teachers alike of the multitude of opportunities available to them and hear about their impacts from those who have previously applied and lived out these experiences.”
ETA Annie Cowen hosted an IEW “pizza party” for students in Bandar Lampung. Annie invited local Global UGRAD alum who shared his exchange experiences and advice for the application process. Annie was impressed by her students’ engagement and participation.
ETA Brady Allen embraced IEW by hosting a series of workshops for faculty and students in Deli Serdang. These workshops highlighted potential exchange programs that each respective group could pursue.
Brady said, “The IEW activity was very impactful and was a great way to show staff and students that there are attainable programs out there that will allow them to explore outside of North Sumatra.”
ETA Adeena hosted informational sessions for students in Belitung in celebration of IEW. The sessions highlighted exchange opportunities and introduced students to the basics of writing effective personal statements. Adeena tailored each presentation to students’ class levels and prioritized sustainability by creating a resource drive that the school could continue to use following her departure.
ETAs Hira Baig and Kylie Eiselstein celebrated IEW by collaborating with the American Corner at Tanjungpura University in Pontianak. Their event involved 20 university students and 16 high school students from their schools. Both groups were informed about opportunities for exchange following their respective graduations. Hira and Kylie hope to build on this in the future by assisting their students with the application process.
AMINEF is proud of the work of each of this cohort’s ETAs. This year’s celebration of IEW in Indonesia was a resounding success!
