Second Annual Teacher Exchange
In Hindu Schools in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad
Invitation to donors:
This year, the program coordinators are inviting donors to Guyana who want to contribute to the expansion of the private Hindu college/high school (Saraswati Vidya Niketan) which has a population of about 800 students.
The founder and principall, Swami Aksharananda (Dr. Odai Pal Singh, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), is in the process of building a dormitory for teachers, a kindergarten and primary school, and in the next three years, a Hindu university.
About the program:
This exchange program will provide an opportunity for qualified, experienced teachers to test and develop their professional skills as well as enjoy sightseeing tours in a foreign country.
Through this voluntary program, selected educators will teach in a secondary/high school in a foreign country for 3 days and sightsee for 2 days. Teachers will leave their home country on a Thursday morning (August 11, 2016), teach in Guyana on Friday, Monday and Tuesday, and sightsee all of Saturday and Sunday. They will return home by midday on Wednesday August 17, 2016.
This initial program will soon be implemented once during the semester/term when employed teachers will only have to take leave from their school for 3 working days. As the program develops, duration of stay in the foreign country will extend for two weeks during July-August.
The first exploratory contingent of educators will leave from Trinidad to Guyana on Thursday August 11, 2016 to teach at Saraswati Vidya Niketan at Cornelia Ida, WCD, Guyana.
See http://www.svn.edu.gy/news.html
Benefits:
Teachers participating in this program will be able to learn other methods of teaching while imparting their own techniques in a foreign classroom.
Participants can use this opportunity to share their ideas and knowledge, pursue individual projects, conduct research and benchmark their own teaching standards.
They will enjoy sightseeing tours in a foreign country and receive free accommodation and meals with an overseas host family.
Responsibilities:
The only expense to be incurred by the selected educators will be their own airfare, ground transportation, and entertainment/leisure fees. Free accommodation and meals will be provided for volunteers by foreign host families.
In addition to teaching students, applicants must also conduct a 2-hour workshop on teacher training for the staff in the foreign country. Applicants must write a report upon completion of the program using a stipulated template that will be provided.
Eligibility:
Prospective teachers may not necessarily be Hindus, but for the duration of their stay in the foreign country, they must subscribe to expected Hindu practices of vegetarianism, non-alcoholism, eclecticism, etc.
Teacher-applicants must have at least 2 years of teaching experience and must be qualified with at least with a BA or BSc to teach CSEC and CAPE subjects.
Applicants must provide at least 3 references, verifying their good character and professionalism.
Applicants must possess sufficient proficiency in English language to participate in this program.
Future plans:
A program will be developed for exchange students in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname in 2017.
Contacts:
For teacher eligibility, please contact the program coordinators:
Dr. Kumar Mahabir, 756-4961, dmahabir@gmail.com, University of Trinidad and Tobago
or
Mr. Doolarchan Hanomansingh, 353-2885, indostorm2000@yahoo.com , Williamsville Secondary School
In the Subject line of your e-mail, please type, “Teacher Exchange.”
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Source: World Hindu News (WHN)