Brazil-U.S. Initiatives in Education                     

BASIC EDUCATION

 

For Teachers

STEM TechCamp:  In partnership with the University of São Paulo and the Laboratory of Integrated Technologic Systems (LSI-TEC).  During one week in February, 60 curriculum coordinators and public school teachers in STEM areas from each state in Brazil participate in workshops and practical sessions using design thinking techniques led by U.S. and Brazilian experts in the field.  The complete program lasts 12 months and helps participants use innovative tools for the teaching of Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

English Access Micro scholarship program for teachers: A 200-hour program implemented by American Spaces (Binational Centers) in the cities of Brasília, Salvador, Manaus, Recife, São Paulo, and Belém.  The 2019 program focuses on language skills and American culture, and 210 Brazilian in- or pre-service teachers will participate.

Building English teaching capacity in Brazil’s bilingual public schools: An 2019 exchange program for 35 English teachers or teachers who use English to teach other subjects from primary and secondary schools in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, and João Pessoa.  The program included four weeks in the U.S. at Arizona State University and virtual interaction follow-up throughout this year.

English Language Fellow program: A ten month program that brings U.S. English Language Fellows to Brazilian institutions to conduct professional development workshops for teachers, develop classroom materials, and assist with curriculum development.  This year, we are hosting six Fellows based at universities or Secretariats of Education, in Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, São Paulo, São Luís, Belo Horizonte, and João Pessoa. 

Brazilians Innovating on the Teaching of English (BRITE): A 75-hour teacher training program implemented by 12 Binational Centers in Brazil to benefit 250 public school English teachers from: Tupã/SP, Guarapuava/PR, Fortaleza/CE, Franca/SP, Londrina/PR, Curitiba/PR, Uberaba/MG, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Salvador/BA, Juiz de Fora/MG, and Brasília/DF.

Online support for teachers:  Examples include the E-Teacher Scholarship Program that provides online courses in teaching English offered by U.S. universities, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), webinars, and the Edusim Pilot Course which is a five-week virtual course on WhatsApp for teachers to develop English language skills and learn about American culture.  Additional free materials and resources are available via www.americanenglish.state.gov.

For Students

Youth Ambassadors Program: An extremely popular and successful three-week U.S. exchange for public high school students who are leaders in their communities.  Successful participants display proven leadership skills, a positive attitude, a commitment to social engagement, academic excellence, and English proficiency.  Since 2003, 500 Brazilian students have participated.  Last year alone, there were 19,000 applications for the 50 slots.

STEM and English language immersion: A five-day program at the University of São Paulo (USP) for 40 public high school students and teachers.  Participants spend a week improving their STEM and English language skills under the mentorship of USP professors and representatives of major U.S. companies working in Brazil. 

English Access Microscholarship Program (Access): Scholarships for public school students, ages 14 to 16, offered at U.S.-Brazil Binational Centers.  Access programs are for two years and provide a minimum of 360 classroom hours of instruction.  Since 2008, approximately 2,500 scholarships have been awarded in several cities throughout Brazil.  There are currently 300 Access students in: Porto Alegre, Juiz de Fora, Rio de Janeiro, Uberlândia, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, São Paulo, and Salvador.

English Immersion USA Program: A one-week full immersion program in English language and American culture for approximately 120 runners-up from the Youth Ambassadors Program.  Since 2006, some 1,300 students have participated in this program.

HIGHER EDUCATION

 

 Fulbright Program: Since 1957, when the Fulbright Commission in Brazil was created as a binational organization linking the governments of Brazil and the U.S., Fulbright awards have enabled more than 3,500 Brazilians to study in the U.S. and brought nearly 3,000 U.S. scholars and researchers to Brazil.  Scholarships are available for graduate students, teachers, and researchers who want to make a difference in their communities through research and knowledge.  For more information, please visit www.fulbright.org.br.

English Teaching Assistants (ETA) program: In partnership with CAPES, 120 U.S. students are placed at Brazilian teacher training colleges or universities for nine months to support the teaching of English and to help facilitate the internationalization of the universities.

SUSI – Study of the U.S. Institutes: Five-week thematic exchange programs for scholars, students, and secondary educators.  Annually, nine to fifteen grants are awarded.

100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative:  Launched by the White House, this initiative aims to expand two-way educational exchange in the Americas to increase competitiveness, promote prosperity, and prepare a more competent global workforce.  The U.S. Department of State awards grants of up to US$ 25,000 for innovative proposals that will establish new partnerships or strengthen existing partnerships between U.S. and Brazilian universities and education institutions.  In 2018, a Brazil-only round was announced, funded partly by SENAI.  This round is currently evaluating submitted proposals.

 EducationUSA:  Thirty-six centers, mostly located in Binational Centers, provide information and assist Brazilians interested in studying in the U.S.  EducationUSA also supports the visit of U.S. education institutions to Brazil, organizes major student fairs, and administers the Opportunity Scholarship Program to help outstanding yet underprivileged students apply for scholarships at U.S. universities.

 U.S.-Brazil I-Corps: The Entrepreneurial Education/Startup Acceleration Program established innovation and entrepreneurship hubs in Florianópolis and Rio de Janeiro, and a third hub is planned for São Paulo.  The U.S. government has contributed US$ 250,000 and is also providing hands-on training at the hubs in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley.

Brazilian Programs Supported by the U.S. Mission

PMGEUA – U.S.-Brazil Undergraduate Engineering Modernization Program: This program promotes the modernization of undergraduate education in engineering in Brazil in cooperation with U.S. universities and scholars.  Eight projects over eight years are being funded by the U.S. Mission in Brazil, Fulbright Commission, and CAPES.

Languages without Borders: Created by the Ministry of Education to improve English language proficiency, this program currently benefits tens of thousands of university students at Brazilian federal universities.  To support this effort, the U.S. Embassy donated educational materials and provided a Senior English Language Fellow. Through a partnership with Mais Unidos, a group of multinational U.S. companies with corporate social responsibility programs, language laboratories have been installed at 15 federal universities.

PDPI – English Teacher Development Program: A six-week U.S. exchange program for public school teachers of English.  This exchange is a partnership with CAPES and with their generous support 2,620 teachers have received grants since 2011.