Eleven high school teachers from the United States, participants of the Teachers for Global Classrooms program, are to meet with Indonesian teachers and students during their 18-days tour in Indonesia beginning on June 7, 2013.  This is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and implemented by International Research & Exchanges (IREX).

The teachers accompanied by Pauline Abetti, Program Coordinator, Education Programs Division, IREX visited the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) on June 10 to get to know its vision and mission, and program activities.  It is noted that AMINEF has been for five years administering the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) which brought 41 Indonesian high schools teachers to the U.S. for a five months program activities similar to the ones carried out by the participants of the Teachers for Global Classrooms program  in Indonesia.

The teachers were particularly interested in the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program which brings Americans (ETAs) to Indonesia to assist English teachers in 50 different high schools throughout Indonesia.  The teachers have also been scheduled to visit some of the schools where  the ETAs have been placed in the past.  They are going to stay in pairs for two weeks to observe the classrooms, team teach with the Indonesian teachers, and exchange ideas.

Prior to their coming to AMINEF, they have visited some five schools in the Jakarta area and have been briefed on the Indonesian History and Culture, and Indonesian Education System.

By end of the tour, they expect to synthesize and evaluate the personal and professional impact of exchange, compare and contrast experiences from schools visited considering the various regions (urban, suburban, rural, etc.), size, population, etc., identify similarities and differences to strengths and challenges in the U.S. education system, and collaborate on best practices for infusing home curricula with global perspective and identify next steps for returning to the classroom.