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Broadening Teaching Perspectives: Teacher Exchange Program: VIF's Purposes and Beliefs
Broadening Teaching Perspectives: Teacher Exchange Program: VIF's Purposes and Beliefs
• Is the United States largest cultural exchange program for teachers and schools.
• Offers highly qualified teachers from around the world serving as teachers and
cultural ambassador in the United States.
• It is the intention of the VIF to ensure that student, educators and communities
worldwide reap the benefits of international education.
• The program started 19 years ago. It was founded in 1987 and began accepting
teachers from other countries of the world to teach kindergarten up to grade 12 in
1989.
The teacher will travel to neighboring countries to work for over a period
of the two weeks after which in pairs they will engage in following
activities:
1. Be stationed at one school for one week and another school for another week
These exchanges enable teachers in Alberta to swap their jobs (and homes) with
teachers in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the
United States, Germany, and other for a period of one year. During this time, the
teacher continues to be paid by his/her school board in Alberta, when the year is
over again the teacher returns home to his original position in Alberta.
SHORT-TERM EXCHANGES
This exchange which occur during the spring and summer holidays, enable the
teachers and administrators to job shadow with the counterpart in another country.
• Ensure benefits for staff and pupils of UK schools under local communities
through the dissemination of innovative development education.
• Support the aims and activities of Link’s educational program in South Africa,
Ghana, and Uganda and;
• Encourages dialogue and partnership between the North and the South; and
“The best thing I have ever done. I have come back a different person – more
tolerant, more understanding, and more sensitive to the needs of others. The
impact of this award will stay with me forever.”