Stafford chosen for Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program
VIENNA, Ill., (KBSI) — Dr. Joshua Stafford has been chosen for the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program, a U.S. Department of State initiative.
Stafford is among 40 educational leaders selected from 157 applicants nationwide. He will participate in an intensive professional development program in Singapore, focusing on international educational systems, best practices, and global collaboration.
The Fulbright Program, funded by the U.S. Congress, aims to enhance global competence in U.S. schools. Since 1946, it has provided opportunities for participants from over 160 countries to exchange ideas and contribute to solving global challenges.
Notable Fulbright alumni include Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize recipients, and heads of state. Stafford’s participation will expand his professional network and enable him to share his experiences with his home institution.
Vienna Schools Superintendent Joshua Stafford is currently in Singapore after being nominated for the Fullbright leaders for Global Schools program. He shares what he’s learning there and what he’s excited to bring back with him this school year.
“I was surprised and also just very humbled by that and excited about the opportunity” says Stafford. “I think that anytime we’re able to engage in things maybe outside our normal whelm, it’s not just a win for the individual, it’s not just a win for me, but ultimately that becomes a win for our entire region and there’s a lot of excitement in that as well.”
Stafford explains that he will be back from Singapore the first week of august. Just in time to start the new school year in Vienna, but the learning doesn’t stop there. He shares that educational leaders will also come here to learn about our education system.
“We do have a group of 5 Singaporean educational leaders that will be coming to the United States in the fall term and so we will be playing host to them in the United States and showcase a lot of the good educational practices that occur there in our schools in the United States” says Stafford.
