Stuart Carroll, associate professor of elementary and early childhood education at TCNJ, has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for the Virtual English Language Educator Program.
The project will allow Carroll to engage virtually with English language learners and teachers online at Sumy State University in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy.
Carroll, who has been at TCNJ since 1998, is among the first in the country to be selected for this new program that just got underway for the 2022–2023 academic year.
“The application process for this program was incredibly rigorous,” Carroll said. “It was a great honor to be selected and I plan to live up to the State Department’s high expectations.”
The Virtual English Language Educator Program is the premier online opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, virtual educators work with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities, academic institutions, and cultural centers.
“When I was contacted by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, I was profoundly moved,” Carroll said. “The students in Sumy have been through evacuations and shelling and have had their education disrupted. I am delighted to be able to provide some stability and to offer them outstanding virtual English language instruction.”
English Language Programs has placed thousands of TESOL scholars and educators with international partner institutions, abroad and virtually, to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. These projects are challenging and the teachers selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. Virtual Educators are among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year.
— Luke Sacks