International Leaders in Education Program 2015

Applicants must:

• Be full time school teachers (6th to 12th grades) in a school that serves a primarily local (not expatriate) population;
• Have five or more years of classroom experience in ILEP teaching disciplines: English, EFL, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, or special education;
• Be citizens of and residents in India;
• Live and teach in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and all Union Territories in the East;
• Have earned a Bachelor’s degree with a teacher training degree;
• Be present in India at the time of submitting the application and for the interview;
• Obtain a minimum score of 500 on paper based TOEFL or equivalent English language examination*;
• Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program; and • Have submitted a complete application.
   

*TOEFL scores are not required at the time of application. If you are short-listed for interview, USIEF will administer the TOEFL or an equivalent of English proficiency test.

Former participants of the International Leaders in Education (ILEP) program, the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program, Partners in Education (PiE), the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program or the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program are not eligible to apply. If you have participated in other professional development exchange programs, please talk to USIEF office about your eligibility.

ILEP is a program for practicing teachers. Ministry of Education officials, full-time principals or educational administrators, full-time teacher trainers, university faculty, private English Language tutors, are not eligible.

Current IREX employees and consultants and their immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, and siblings) are not eligible to compete in any IREX-implemented grant programs, either as individuals or as the responsible party representing an institutional applicant. IREX does not discriminate against grant applicants because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or any other protected characteristic as established by U.S. law.

APPLICATIONS NOT MEETING THE ABOVE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

ILEP Fellows will be selected through a merit-based open competition based on the criteria below. Top candidates will be interviewed by an interview panel and must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or equivalent English language examination or provide valid results from within the past year, or June 2014.

 

Selection Criteria (not in order of importance):

• Demonstrated commitment to teaching in the field of secondary education;
• Demonstrated leadership potential;
• Professional and educational experience and achievements;
• Potential for developing long-term linkages between U.S. and Indian educational institutions and schools;
• Preparedness (including maturity, flexibility, and ability to function independently) for an intensive U.S.-based training program with very limited free time for personal travel or sightseeing;
• Willingness and capacity to work and live collaboratively with international peers to foster a positive learning community for professional development;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and effectively; and
• English language skills adequate to manage coursework, develop lesson plans, and team-teach in U.S. schools (a minimum paper-based or equivalent TOEFL score of 500 is required for ILEP participation).
• Applicants who have had few or no opportunities to travel to the U.S. will be given priority.

HOW TO APPLY

• Click here for Application Form
   
• Click here for Institutional Support and Reference Form

All applications, hand delivered or posted, must reach the USIEF Kolkata Regional Office, American Center, 38 A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 071, no later than April 1, 2015. Please write ATTN: International Leaders in Education Program on the envelope.

GENERAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Please answer all questions on the application.
• Please type or print in black ink.
• If a question does not apply to you, enter N/A (not applicable).
• Include your full, legal name as spelled on your passport (if available) or other photo identification.
• Include complete contact information (including zip/postal codes for all addresses and city codes for all phone and fax numbers if available).
• Write your full name, city, and country in the top right corner of each page.
• Hand sign the Privacy Policy on the last page with ink.
   

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT AND REFERENCE FORM

All applicants must include the Institutional Support and Reference Form, which must be completed by your supervisor at the school where you are employed. The form must be signed in ink. An English translation must be provided if the form and reference letter are not written in English. The official who completes and signs this form must be the official authorized to approve participation in the program and grant a leave of absence. Applicants should discuss their application to the program with their administrator in advance and should be aware that their application will not be considered without the administrator’s approval.

A completed application includes all elements listed below. You may submit your application by April 1, 2015 to USIEF Regional office in Kolkata in paper form in the following order: 

1. Application,
2. Institutional Support and Reference Form completed by your supervisor, and
3. A copy of the photo and information pages of your passport (or photo identification).
    

PROGRAM TIMELINE

APRIL 1, 2015              :                                           Application Deadline

May 2015                     :                                           TOEFL Testing/Interviews

September 2015          :                                           Notification of Finalists

December 2015           :                                           Pre-Departure Orientation

January-May 2016       :                                            U.S. Program Dates