The Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and is implemented by IREX, a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization. TEA will provide 60 secondary school teachers from Eurasia and South Asia with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge about the United States. The international participants will travel to the United States to participate in a 6-week professional development program at a U.S. university. The professional development program will include coursework and intensive training in teaching methodologies, curriculum writing, teaching strategies for the participants’ home environment, educational leadership, as well as the use of computers for Internet, word processing, and as teaching tools. The 6-week program also will include a 2 to 3-week internship at a secondary school to actively engage participants with American teachers and students. Trips to U.S. cultural sites and academic support will be provided for participants throughout the program.

In spring 2009 a cohort of 15 U.S. teachers will reciprocate the visits of the Eurasian and South Asian teachers. Also, TEA will provide follow-on grants to the international teachers to purchase essential materials for their schools, to offer follow-on training for other teachers, and to conduct other activities that will build on the exchange visits.