International Programs
Study Tour Program
Brenda Richardson, a fifth grade teacher at Meadowview School in Country Club Hills, and Andrew Hirshman, an economics teacher at Mundelein High School, have been selected to participate in a Study Tour to South Africa from July 23 to August 6, 2008. They will be joined by 10 other U.S. teachers from Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas for this EconomicsInternational program, sponsored by the National Council on Economic Education. ICEE President Joanne Dempsey will serve as the faculty leader for the study tour.
The goal of this journey is to help participating teachers:
- become more knowledgeable about the NCEE network and EconomicsInternational program activities;
- better understand through contact with teachers, learners/students, administrators, and education leaders the evolution of the teaching of economics in South Africa;
- gain an understanding of how economic education is delivered in South Africa andbecome familiar with education reforms related to teacher training, standards development, curriculum development, and assessment;
- expand their knowledge about the economic, political, historical, and social conditions in South Africa in order to better understand the achievements made and the challenges facing economic educators;
- share with South African NCEE-trained trainers, classroom teachers, K-12 learners/students, and other leaders background on economic education in the United States and their experience teaching economics;
- compare, contrast, and reflect on the similarities and differences between economic education delivery in the Republic of South Africa and the United States;
- enhance their own capacity to teach economics;
- gain exposure to participation of various sectors of society in the delivery of economic education in South Africa.
Since 1995, 463 educators from the U.S. and other eligible countries have participated in 117 NCEE-sponsored study tours. Illinois educators have traveled to Romania, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine (and now South Africa) as part of the National Council on Economic Education's EconomicsInternational® program.
Check the NCEE's EconomicsInternational web site frequently for announcement of Training of Writers and Study Tour programs. These programs are made possible through grants to NCEE from the Cooperative Education Exchange Program (CEEP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and conducted in coordination with the U.S. Department of State.
The National Council on Economic Education EconomicsInternational® Program sponsors two study tours each year for K-12 teachers (U.S.). These 10-12 day tours focus on participation in and observation of economic education activities in emerging market economies. Tours typically include school visits, observation of teacher training workshops, and meetings with ministry of education officials and leaders in business and education. Participants meet with teachers, share ideas, and observe their peers as they creatively deliver lessons in economics to students in elementary and secondary schools.
Study tours seek outstanding classroom teachers who teach economics or incorporate significant economic content into history, social studies, mathematics, and/or language arts courses. Successful applicants must demonstrate a commitment to economic education and to working with their state Council and/or local Center for Economic Education.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain letters of recommendation from the Director of their Center for Economic Education. The Center web page helps identify a school's Center and gives complete contact information.
This page updated June 30, 2008
