

An outgrowth of the U.S. Department of State-funded European School Administrator Program in 2016, the International School Leaders Association (ISLA) was established by program alumni and hosts in 2020 to foster the collaboration of education leaders from the U.S. and a number of European countries on promoting the educational and economic advancement of refugee, immigrant, and minority youth. The original European School Administrator Program convened educators from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Now the organizers would like to engage on this topic with administrators from more countries, including Finland, as schools and governments in many other places face this challenge. As a partner in this effort with the U.S. Department of State and the University of Minnesota, the Fulbright Finland Foundation will provide two to three selected Finnish school administrators with a Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Travel Grant in order to take part in the International School Leaders Association symposium and will serve as the point of contact for any questions applicants may have about this opportunity.
The theme of the 2023 ISLA meeting is Reimagining Schools and Support for Immigrant and Refugee Students. Hosted by the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) faculty at the University of Minnesota (UMN), the symposium will include presentations, working group and training sessions, visits to U.S. schools and community organizations, and networking and speaking opportunities. Participants will exchange ideas with experts, educators, students, researchers, immigrant and refugee families, community leaders, and representatives of various organizations that work in this field. The attendees will collaborate to generate new approaches to meeting the needs of immigrant and refugee students, inform policy makers of the ongoing need for support, and provide resources for schools and families.
Departure for Minneapolis will be scheduled for September 30, and return flight for October 6 or 7. The return date to Finland will be confirmed closer to the program.
The Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Travel Grant Program provides:
Check out Fulbright Finland News 1/2019 and Fulbright Finland News 1/2022 for articles about the U.S. Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools programs in Finland.
Please send the complete application form, CV and leave approval form (found below under Required Documents) to the Fulbright Finland Foundation by Thursday, August 17 at 10:00, 2023 via this SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FLGS-TG-applications
Required documents:
For the letter of recommendation from an individual who knows you in a professional capacity, please send the following link to your recommender: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FLGS-travel-grant-recommendations
Please note that all the documents attached to your application need to be converted to a basic PDF file (no advanced file formats such as PDF Portfolios).
You will receive an email from the Fulbright Finland Foundation if your application has passed an initial screening and you have been selected for an interview. Please note that the Fulbright Finland Foundation does not cover expenses resulting from the interview.
The interviews are compulsory and organized by the Fulbright Finland Foundation via Zoom on August 28. Read more about the selection process and preparing for the interview here.
Application period starts |
August 8, 2023 |
Application period ends |
August 17 at 10am, 2023 |
Interview invitations are sent to the selected candidates |
August 18 or 23, 2023 |
Interviews are conducted |
August 28, 2023 |
Selections are made and applicants are notified |
August 30, 2023 |
Compulsory Fulbright Finland Pre-Departure Orientation for the selected grantees going to the U.S. (online) |
September 8, 2023 at 14:00-16:15 |
Program in the U.S. |
September 30-October 6 or 7, 2023 |
The 2023 as well as the 2019 Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Travel Grants Program are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. The program is administered by the Fulbright Finland Foundation.
The 2020-22 Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Travel Grants Program was organized in collaboration with the Fulbright Finland Foundation and the municipalities of Espoo, Liminka, and Oulu with funding from the Finnish National Agency for Education.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world. ECA strives to achieve this goal through a wide range of international exchanges as authorized by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended. ECA works in close cooperation with U.S. Embassies and bilateral Fulbright Commissions overseas to promote personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad.
The Fulbright Finland Foundation is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Helsinki, Finland. The Foundation’s aim is