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| Pointing to my placement |
Today is when the fun really began. Like I've said before on this blog, I really like orientations of any kind but there is always a certain intimidation factor. At times it feels like we're all in a dog park with lots of sizing-up, butt-sniffing and tail wagging - I can already tell you who the Dobermans and Golden Retrievers are. I am seriously fascinated with the other 29 participants and I wish I could have 30 minutes with everyone to hear their story and how they got here. Fortunately, everyone else is just as curious and we basically spend lots of awkward conversations asking repeated questions like, "Where are you from?", "Where is your placement?" and "What did you do before this?" all while trying to maintain a cool and confident demeanor.
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| Schedule of talking points for the first session |
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| Close-up of Ilhéus, BA |
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| My partner, Loni |
The other Fulbrighters are from all over but most of them are from California and the big cities on the East Coast with a handful from the Midwest thrown in to keep things real. I've had a person say to me, "You went to school in Ohio? That must have been very country." The age range is from 23 - 31 (Yep, I'm the oldest) but you wouldn't know that there is such a disparity; everyone acts like they are around 25. About half of the group already has some kind of Master's degree in subjects ranging from education, language, anthropology, economics, sociology and political science. Lots of brief life histories that I heard included programs like Peace Corps, JET, AmeriCorps, Teach for America and internships in some area of government. Everyone has studied and/or taught abroad in multiple countries and continents and it has been both overwhelming and inspiring to hear their stories. Most participants seems to be very motivated and have clear goals for the future including more graduate school, working for the CIA/FBI, working for the State Department and getting involved with particular NGOs in Washington D.C. Like I said, these guys aren't wasting any time with their life plans.
Today during orientation we spent the morning in some meetings talking about the grant and in the afternoon we took a field trip to some touristy places in the city. Here's a few things that we talked about:
What is Fulbright and why are you here?
The Fulbright program is 67 years old and was started after WWII by Senator Fulbright to promote student cultural exchange. The first program was with Germany and was quickly expanded to other countries in Europe and reached South America in the mid 50s. Now there are 150 programs worldwide which send Americans abroad and bring foreigners to the States to teach, study and do research.
Who's paying for this?
The U.S. government (State Department) and the government of Brazil (the Commission and the Ministry of Education).
Where are you placed and why?
Although we got some preferences about where we wanted to be, we were matched with participating institutions based on our skills and experiences.
Where will you live?
We have to find our own accommodation which usually means renting an apartment near campus. We can live alone, share with the other grant participant, or share with any willing Brazilian student.
What will you do?
There are two kinds of Fulbright grants: ETA (English Teaching Assistantship) and Study/Research. I have an ETA which means that I work with a university to help improve their English education program. This includes teaching some English classes, providing monthly inservices to local teachers, holding office hours and setting up monthly cultural events/lectures. We also have the opportunity to study Portuguese and are required to do an additional side project of our choice in the community.
What's your schedule?
The university calendar in Brazil begins around March and the first semester runs through June. There is a month off between semesters during which we spend one week participating in a mid-year seminar in the capitol, Brasilia, with all the other Fulbrighters. Then the second semester runs from October to November. My official grant end date is November 24.
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| The whole group - our director and her assistant are in front |
How exciting! I've always thought that you are my sister would get along really well. She lives in Indonesia right now after 6 six years in Doha, Qatar. You both have lives that are adventurous and intriguing. :)