Opportunity Information: Apply for FA5461349
Apply for FA5461349
- The Department of State, Mission to Brazil in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exchange Program in the U.S. for English Language Teachers from U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 24, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $70,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The U.S. Embassy in Brazil, under the Department of State (Mission to Brazil), solicited proposals for a discretionary grant to design and run a two-week professional exchange program in the United States for 25 English language teachers from U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers (BNCs). The overall purpose of the program is to strengthen the BNC network by investing in teacher development in ways that help the centers stay competitive in a crowded and increasingly aggressive English-teaching market. Rather than offering a standard TEFL certificate-style training, the exchange is meant to broaden participants understanding of U.S. education, culture, and society while also improving their classroom practice and English proficiency through immersive, applied experiences.
The target participants are mid-career BNC teachers, generally defined as those with about five to fifteen years of experience at a BNC, who have not previously had academic exposure to the United States and are not familiar with living there. In practice, that means the exchange is designed for educators who already have significant teaching experience but would benefit from structured, first-hand contact with a variety of U.S. educational settings and professional communities. The program is framed as a faculty development exchange (FDE) that emphasizes professional growth, observation, reflection, and practical follow-through once teachers return to Brazil.
The proposed agenda is expected to be built around multiple educational site visits that expose participants to diverse models of English as a Second Language (ESL) delivery. Examples specifically encouraged include dual-language immersion programs, co-teaching and pull-out approaches in primary and secondary schools, intensive English programs at universities and/or community colleges, ESL instruction for adult immigrants, and instruction within private language schools. This variety is intended to help teachers compare how different U.S. institutions serve different learner populations, what instructional strategies are used in each context, and what can realistically be adapted to BNC classrooms and local Brazilian needs.
In addition to site visits, the exchange should include workshops and structured discussion sessions led by TEFL/TESL specialists on current and high-impact topics in the field. The opportunity highlights themes such as project-based learning, e-learning, differentiated instruction, content-language integrated instruction, English for specific purposes, and strategies for teaching English to students with learning differences. The expectation is that participants do more than passively observe; they should engage with experts, examine real classroom challenges, and leave with concrete tools and updated pedagogical approaches that can be incorporated into BNC programming.
A central design feature is reflective practice. Proposals are expected to weave visits and workshops together through guided reflection activities and group discussions that help participants connect what they are seeing to their own teaching contexts. The program should culminate in an action plan that each participant can carry back to their home institution, outlining how they will apply new methods, share learning with colleagues, and contribute to institutional improvement at their BNC. This emphasis on follow-on planning signals that the exchange is not meant to be a one-off experience, but rather a capacity-building intervention with visible outcomes after participants return.
The opportunity also calls for a strong cultural component so teachers gain a fuller, more nuanced understanding of U.S. culture and society. This is positioned as directly relevant to their effectiveness as English teachers, since cultural knowledge can enhance classroom authenticity, improve teachers confidence as cultural interpreters, and strengthen the credibility of BNCs as venues for both language and intercultural learning. The Embassy notes that, where feasible, proposals should include a home-hospitality activity, which typically refers to opportunities for participants to spend time with U.S. families or community hosts in order to deepen cultural exchange beyond formal institutional visits.
Finally, the agenda is expected to include at least one visit and/or workshop focused on the Maker Movement and its role in supporting student learning. This suggests an interest in hands-on, creative, student-centered learning environments (often involving design thinking, simple prototyping, collaborative problem-solving, and technology-enabled projects) and how those approaches might complement English instruction and broader learning goals.
Administratively, the grant opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number FA5461349, categorized as a discretionary grant under an education activity area, with CFDA number 19.040. The Embassy anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $70,000. The notice was created on June 24, 2016, and originally closed on August 15, 2016. Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this grant opportunity about?
This opportunity is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Embassy in Brazil (U.S. Department of State, Mission to Brazil) to design and run a two-week professional exchange program in the United States for 25 English language teachers from U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers (BNCs).
2. What is the main purpose of the exchange program?
The overall purpose is to strengthen the BNC network by investing in teacher development so the centers can stay competitive in an increasingly crowded and aggressive English-teaching market. The exchange is meant to broaden participants understanding of U.S. education, culture, and society while also improving classroom practice and English proficiency through immersive, applied experiences.
3. Is this intended to be a standard TEFL certificate or training course?
No. The opportunity specifically notes that the program is not meant to be a standard TEFL certificate-style training. It is framed as a professional exchange focused on immersion, observation, reflection, and practical follow-through rather than a typical certification course.
4. Who are the intended participants?
The target participants are mid-career BNC teachers, generally described as having about five to fifteen years of experience at a BNC.
5. Are there expectations about participants prior exposure to the United States?
Yes. The exchange is designed for teachers who have not previously had academic exposure to the United States and are not familiar with living there.
6. How long is the exchange program expected to last?
The program is expected to be two weeks long and take place in the United States.
7. How many teachers should participate in the exchange?
The program is designed for 25 English language teachers from U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers (BNCs).
8. What is meant by a "faculty development exchange (FDE)" in this opportunity?
The exchange is framed as a faculty development exchange emphasizing professional growth, observation, reflection, and practical follow-through after the teachers return to Brazil.
9. What types of activities are expected in the program agenda?
The agenda is expected to combine multiple educational site visits, workshops, structured discussion sessions led by TEFL/TESL specialists, guided reflection activities, and a culminating action-planning component.
10. What kinds of educational site visits are encouraged?
The opportunity encourages site visits that expose participants to diverse models of ESL delivery, including:
- Dual-language immersion programs
- Co-teaching and pull-out approaches in primary and secondary schools
- Intensive English programs at universities and/or community colleges
- ESL instruction for adult immigrants
- Instruction within private language schools
11. Why does the program emphasize visiting different types of ESL settings?
The variety is intended to help teachers compare how different U.S. institutions serve different learner populations, identify instructional strategies used in each context, and determine what approaches can realistically be adapted to BNC classrooms and local Brazilian needs.
12. What workshop or training topics are highlighted for inclusion?
Workshops and structured discussions led by TEFL/TESL specialists are expected to address current, high-impact topics such as:
- Project-based learning
- E-learning
- Differentiated instruction
- Content-language integrated instruction
- English for specific purposes
- Strategies for teaching English to students with learning differences
13. Are participants expected to actively engage, or mainly observe?
Participants are expected to do more than passively observe. The design should support engagement with experts, structured examination of classroom challenges, and development of concrete tools and updated pedagogical approaches that can be incorporated into BNC programming.
14. How is reflective practice incorporated into the exchange design?
Proposals are expected to weave site visits and workshops together through guided reflection activities and group discussions that help participants connect what they are seeing in the U.S. to their own teaching contexts in Brazil.
15. What is the expected outcome at the end of the program?
The program should culminate in an action plan for each participant, outlining how they will apply new methods, share learning with colleagues, and contribute to institutional improvement at their home BNC.
16. Why does the opportunity emphasize follow-on planning after participants return to Brazil?
The emphasis on action plans and institutional sharing signals that the exchange is meant to be a capacity-building intervention with visible outcomes after participants return, rather than a one-off experience.
17. Is there a cultural component required as part of the exchange?
Yes. The opportunity calls for a strong cultural component so teachers gain a fuller, more nuanced understanding of U.S. culture and society, which is presented as directly relevant to their effectiveness as English teachers.
18. How is U.S. cultural learning connected to English teaching in this program?
The program description links cultural knowledge to improved classroom authenticity, stronger teacher confidence as cultural interpreters, and increased credibility of BNCs as venues for language and intercultural learning.
19. What is the home-hospitality activity mentioned in the opportunity?
Where feasible, proposals should include a home-hospitality activity. This typically refers to opportunities for participants to spend time with U.S. families or community hosts to deepen cultural exchange beyond formal institutional visits.
20. Is the Maker Movement required to be included in the agenda?
The agenda is expected to include at least one visit and/or workshop focused on the Maker Movement and its role in supporting student learning.
21. What does the opportunity suggest about the Maker Movement focus?
The description points to hands-on, creative, student-centered learning environments, often involving design thinking, simple prototyping, collaborative problem-solving, and technology-enabled projects, and how those approaches might complement English instruction and broader learning goals.
22. What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FA5461349.
23. What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 19.040.
24. What is the activity area for this grant?
The grant is categorized under an education activity area.
25. How many awards was the Embassy expecting to make?
The Embassy anticipated making one award.
26. What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $70,000.
27. When was the funding notice created and when did it close?
The notice was created on June 24, 2016, and it originally closed on August 15, 2016.
28. Who is eligible to apply, based on the information provided here?
Eligible applicants are listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
29. What key design principle should applicants keep in mind when building the agenda?
The program is expected to integrate site visits, expert-led workshops, and structured reflection in a way that leads to practical outcomes, especially participant action plans and realistic adaptation of observed U.S. practices to BNC contexts in Brazil.
30. What kinds of results should the exchange aim to produce for the BNC network?
Based on the opportunity description, the exchange should strengthen the BNC network through teacher development that improves classroom practice and English proficiency, enhances cultural understanding of the U.S., and supports institutional improvement through follow-on action plans and knowledge-sharing after participants return.
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