WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NEA Foundation, a public charity founded by educators for educators, names Kansas City NEA member, Sara Worsfold, an elementary teacher at Faxon Montessorri School in Kansas City, MO, as one of the NEA Foundation's 2023 Global Learning Fellows. Worsfold and 49 educators from across the country will participate in a year-long professional learning experience focused on educating and empowering students for global citizenship, culminating in a 10-day field study in South Africa.
The 2023 fellows represent the richness of the teaching profession. They teach students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. They teach across a wide array of subjects including visual and performing arts, English, social studies, special education, and science. The fellows represent rural, suburban, and urban schools. A third of the fellows are teachers of color and more than half teach at schools that qualify for free and reduced lunch. The diverse group of educators provides a tremendous opportunity for the group to learn from each other.
“The NEA Foundation is proud to support educators across the country who recognize the importance of helping students develop the knowledge and dispositions to understand the world and their capacity to influence it. By cultivating global competency, these educators are preparing students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global world. We are honored to support these exceptional educators in their continued professional learning and growth,” said Sara A. Sneed, President and CEO of The NEA Foundation. “For more than a decade, this fellowship has had a powerful influence on classrooms, schools, and communities. We look forward to a rich year ahead.”
The NEA Foundation staff, partners, and program alumni will support the fellows as they immerse themselves in online coursework, webinars, reading, and reflection as well as a two-day professional development workshop in October.
After the intensive learning experience this school year, the Global Fellows will venture to South Africa next summer for a ten-day international field study. The field study brings the cohort together as they investigate the historical and cultural context of the country and learn about its education system through meetings with policymakers, business, and nonprofit leaders as well as visits to schools to meet teachers, students, and administrators.
The fellows will conclude their fellowship with a project that enables their learning to be shared more broadly with educators beyond the program.
Get to know all of the 2023 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows by visiting neafoundation.org.
The NEA Foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Global Learning Fellowship this fall.
###
About the NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is a national philanthropic organization that invests in educators’ leadership, shared learning, and collaboration; supports partnerships and initiatives that strengthen public education; and promotes improvements in public education policy and practice. Find us at neafoundation.org, Facebook, and Twitter.