Intensive Course for Teachers of English (ICTE II) Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affair’s (ECA) Programming, U.S. Embassy in Georgia,  aims to build local capacity and sustainability on the foundation begun in ICTE I with a focus on further enhancing quality teaching and learning in Georgian schools by ensuring professional knowledge of English language teachers; establishing high performance standards and raising the professional status of teachers; expanding the existing Georgian TOT capacity; and supporting expert Georgian teachers to now take the lead as expert trainers and mentors for Georgian teachers of English language.

PH International (PH) has partnered with World Learning’s School for International Training Graduate Institute (SIT)) to provide specialized training for Georgian school teachers of English, enhancing their theoretical and practical knowledge and effecting a deep understanding of issues related to the teaching of English as a foreign language and relationships between the language and western culture and values. The PH-SIT Team will draw upon teacher training materials and approaches used in ICTE I and the ELCE program.

A Teacher Training Summer Camp (TTSC) in Georgia will condense ELCE professional development into a 50 hour intensive course, give 20 less experienced Georgian English teachers a week of specialized training in modern learner-centered teaching techniques for language learning, supplementary lessons and materials that reinforce English language acquisition through content on American and western culture and civic values, and offer applied learning opportunities with students in the English language summer camp.

A Training of Trainers Summer Institute (TOTSI) in the United States will develop 22 experienced ELCE I, ELCE II, Access and ICTE I’s TTSC teachers as peer trainers that can train other teachers in modern learner centered teaching techniques combined with English language and cultural instruction. Finally, mentoring and support during the follow-on period will use social media, networking, and a series of incentive opportunities to encourage and challenge participants to fulfill commitments to apply learning and expand the impact of ICTE II. 

> More

2014-2016 English Language through Civic Education (ELCE II) Program

PH International (PH) is pleased to have been awarded the 2014-2016 English Language through Civic under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affair’s (ECA) Programming Initiative. PH will be the sole implementer of the U.S. funded ELCE II program.

The goal of 2014 – 2016 English Language through Civic Education (ELCE II) program is to improve English language teaching and learning in Georgian schools in order to support Euro-Atlantic integration, promote Western democratic values, improve students’ capacity for higher and continuing education, and increase marketable job skills among Georgian youth. . The direct beneficiaries of this program in Cycle 1 of Program Implementation are Georgian teachers of English for grades 1 through 12 and the students they teach. This project represents a continuation in U.S. Embassy/PAS’s use of English language instruction and acquisition programs as a means to promote Western and U.S. values among a new generation of Georgian pupils.   In the first phase of the English Language through Civic Education program, PH, in partnership with Georgetown University and the English Teachers Association in Georgia (ETAG), worked with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi and MES to develop a core training program for practicing English teachers and over two years increased the capacity of 378 Georgian English teachers in seven regions. ELCE brought in American English Language Teacher Trainers (ELTTs) who worked with a core set of Georgian English teachers in each region on an intensive program to develop content based, student focused teaching skills that use civic and cultural themes as a means of mobilizing student engagement and participation in English language learning. These trained teachers serve as models for their colleagues and 30 of the best received additional training in the U.S. as peer teacher trainers under the follow-on Intensive Course for Teachers of English (ICTE) program, which also gave 20 English teachers that had not worked with ELTTs a “jump start” to using the ELCE curriculum through an intensive teacher training summer camp.  

The objectives of the current program are:

• To enable Georgian English language teachers in four additional regions (Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Mtskheta Mtianeti,  and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti) of Georgia to demonstrate enhanced skills and improved classroom instruction for English language acquisition and civic education through English language.
• In coordination with PAS and MES, to increase access of English teachers and classes to expanded materials and resources that complement the national curriculum, support language acquisition skills, and introduce Western and U.S. information, culture and concepts at each grade level.

 

The PH Team has developed a program that will achieve these objectives through a focus on following five key results:

1. A total 120 Georgian English teachers (80 practicing teachers working with children grades 1-12 and 40 pre-service teachers) graduate from the ELCE training program in Tbilisi and Samtskhe-Javakheti with advanced skills in content and delivery;
2. 20 practicing teachers from Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti increase capacity to deliver student-centered and content focused English language instruction through civic education;
3. At least 20 new supplemental handouts, lesson plans, multi-media presentations or other material developed by Georgian teachers are nominated by their peers to be considered in semi-annual prize competitions.
4. 80 schools have expanded equipment base to enrich English language learning experience in listening, reading , writing and speaking
5. Two universities have expanded materials and approaches that can be used to better prepare new English teachers for learner-centered and content-focused language acquisition.

 

ELCE II Program Consists of four program components:

1. Teacher Training Coaching and Advising
2. Ongoing expansion of supplemental materials and teaching resources
3. Distribution of equipment to enrich learning
4. Promotion of new approaches and lessons learned to broader educational community.

> More

USAID-funded Applied Civic Education and Teacher Training Program (ACETT) was implemented by PH International in partnership with the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC) and 11 regional partner NGOs from 2010 - 2014. The program was also supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

ACETT worked to improve the quality and scope of school-based civic education as a means to positively influence the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth (and, through their example, those of the broader community) as active participants in Georgia’s democratic society. ACETT involved a number of program areas, including curriculum development, teacher training, encouraging and promoting student civic involvement, and strengthening recognition of the importance of civics education. The program reached out to 740 schools, 30% of all schools in Georgia. Successes achieved by the program include the following:

-        development of 50-hour accredited training course for civics teachers titled “Teaching Democratic Citizenship”;

-        passing 813 civics teachers from partner schools through this accredited course and conducting workshops for 736 school principals about the importance of school-based civic education;

-        creating and supporting a National Forum of Civics Teachers, which now brings together more than 500 teachers from all regions of Georgia. Organization aims to advance civics teachers’ professional development, promote experience-sharing among teachers through different activities, which include: trainings and master-classes by American and Georgian experts, civics teacher roundtables to discuss critical professional issues, regional conferences and meetings of civics teachers to share experiences, open lessons in civics and organization of the National Annual Fair-Conference of Civics Teachers.

-       presenting a Best Civics Teachers of the Year Award annually starting from 2012;

-        development of the four sets of supplemental civics textbooks, which were introduced to 740 schools in Georgia. Translation of these materials into Azeri and Armenian for use in schools teaching in these languages;

-        organizing summer civics camps for 1,115 students and teachers; conducting civics integration camps for 200 Georgian and ethnic minority youth to facilitate implementation of joint initiatives;

-        developing a manual for school civics clubs and helping to establish over 500 school-based civics clubs in which students work with partners to resolve the critical issues of their schools and communities;

-        awarding the most successful school-based civics clubs with audio-visual equipment that can be  used to enhance their activities;

-        funding and supporting 555 mini-grant projects that promote civic participation by students and teachers; involving local state and private organizations as contributors in these projects;

-        training 711 young leaders and 53 teachers in the use of social media for civic engagement;

-        training 170 students (and teachers) in debates and public speaking, who then have trained the peers in their respective schools and regions;

-        organizing youth forums with participation of more than 3000 students nationwide to promote involvement of youth in local decision-making processes;

-        and creating a civics and citizenship web portal www.civics.ge which brings together resources and news for about civic education and civic engagement for youth, their teachers and parents; 

Final external evaluation of the program, through which 1,300 respondents were surveyed nationwide, showed that ACETT program achieved its goals successfully. This survey confirmed students have gained important knowledge and practices, through their participation in ACETT program, which are essential for democratic citizenship.

> More

The Semester Study Program brought teenagers from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus to the United States for a semester of study in American high schools. Between 50 and 100 15-18 year old high school students each year participated in the program, hosted by families across breadth of the U.S. Participants without exception were bery thankful to PH, the USIA's Freedom Support Act program, and most of all their host families for their experience. Follow-up surveys offered statements such as:

"When I got home, I had lots of ideas of things I wanted to do - like starting a student government, clubs for sports, and helping elderly people"

"We are going to try to start something here in Tomsk - going to orphanages and helping kids."

 

> More

This program provided youth exchanges for American teenage groups to Tbilisi and for Georgian teens associated with the Tbilisi Pioneer Palace to the U.S.

> More