Boca Raton Teacher Selected For Two-Way Exchange Program In Kazakhstan
Barbara Johnson, a West Boca High School Social Science teacher, has been selected by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) to participate in a two-way exchange program that provides professional development opportunities to secondary school teachers from around the world.
Barbara Johnson has been teaching in Palm Beach County since 1997. Ms. Johnson is a National Board Certified Teacher in Social Studies-History/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, an Advanced Placement World History Reader, and is a Fulbright Scholar.
She is one of 110 exceptional teachers from around the United States who has been selected and will be traveling to Kazakhstan for two weeks this year.
During her two-week trip, Johnson and her international counterpart will discuss best teaching practices and related educational issues in Kazakhstan with the host school teachers and with the wider community of educators. Participants in the exchange will visit local schools, parents’ committees and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), serve as guest speakers on U.S. education and culture, team-teach at their host schools, and conduct workshops for the teaching community on teaching methods and curriculum design.
“Ms. Johnson is an outstanding teacher. She is also the Social Studies Department Chairperson as well as West Boca’s Macy’s Teacher-of-the-Year nominee. They could not have made a better selection to represent Palm Beach County Schools and West Boca Raton Community High School. We are very proud of Ms. Johnson!, said Mark Stenner, principal at West Boca Raton High.
Ms. Johnson commented, “One of the most anticipated highlights of my career is the forthcoming multi-cultural/educational exchange to Kazakhstan.”
Teacher’s effectiveness is one of the key factors that contribute to student achievement. The School District of Palm Beach County strives to provide to all teachers opportunities to improve their skills and become more aware of the needs of our student population that comes from all over the world bringing with them different cultures and languages.
The Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) and the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and are implemented by IREX. Secondary school teachers interested in applying for a professional development grant opportunity can visit
http://www.irex.org/project/teachers-global-classrooms-program-tgc#.
About IREX:
IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing leadership and innovative programs to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of $60 million and a staff of over 500 professionals worldwide. IREX and its partner IREX Europe deliver cross-cutting programs and consulting expertise in more than 100 countries.
For information about IREX, please visit www.irex.org.
For more information, contact Christine Mueller at cmueller@irex.org or call (202) 628 8188.
