Short Term Exchange
How does it work?
This professional development experience promotes the sharing of best practices across cultures, the creation of partnerships between classrooms and the development of global understanding.
Participants in the short term educator exchange are matched with a teacher from Denmark or Germany, whom they join in the classroom and live with for a two week period. The exchange runs during school holidays or summer vacation to ensure the accessibility of the program. During their stay overseas, teachers may also arrange cultural visits that correspond with the interests of both parties.
Where can I go?
We are currently running programs with partners in Denmark and Germany. Alberta teachers go to Germany or Denmark in August and host their German or Danish counterpart in October.
What is the cost?
All costs are borne by the participant. Alberta Education secures the exchange and prepares and supports participants. Costs include airfare, spending money and the cost of billeting the return teacher.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be Canadian citizens. They also must have an Alberta Teaching Certificate, a permanent teaching position and the approval of their principal and superintendent (some jurisdictions require particular years of service). Personal characteristics of successful applicants include flexibility, adaptability, a positive attitude, openness to other cultures and of course, strong teaching skills.
How do I apply?
The application date for the short term teacher exchange is March 1 of the year you plan to depart. For example, if you plan to visit your counterpart in the summer of 2009, you must apply by March 1, 2009. The application process is as follows:
- Application – To apply to the short term educator exchange program, you must submit an application form (application for Germany, application for Denmark) to our exchange coordinator (See our contact us page for details). Your principal must indicate his/her support for the exchange on the last page of the application form.
- Recommendation & Transfer of application – Upon a favourable recommendation from the exchange coordinator, your application will be sent to our partners in Denmark or Germany.
- Matching – Once both coordinators have access to your file, they will work together to find an appropriate match for you. Matches are based upon similarities in the teaching assignments, interests and lifestyles of the two teachers as specified in their respective application forms.
- Approval in Alberta – Once a match is found, you will be given information about your exchange partner. You may refuse the match if you do not consider it to be appropriate.
- Approval abroad – Your exchange partner is given the same opportunity of refusal as you are. Therefore, an exchange is not considered to be final until it has been agreed to by your exchange partner. You will be notified by phone, and subsequently by mail, when your exchange has been finalized. Shortly thereafter, you will receive a confirmation package outlining the “next steps” in preparing for exchange.
