Question #3 for the Representative Assembly

3. What, in the way of services, information, and resources, could CEC provide to assist units and members pursuing such international activities?

It would be very helpful if DISES and CEC could more actively promote and support members in pursuing Fulbright opportunities. I do not think classroom teachers and graduate students are as aware of the range of possibilities; I think that even college folks see Fulbrights as something only the most senior scholars are competitive for, when actually those in early and mid-career are actually very good candidates. Candidates need also to be aware that the time frames for application and placement are very tight, but that early consideration of possibilities over several years prior to application can allow the candidate to build relationships with international colleagues that help facilitate in a more positive outcome.

Could we also maintain a list of special education folks (both US and International who have had Fulbright experiences over the past 10 years or so?

We need contacts from NGO's. We need grant opportunities. We need 3 Cups of Tea.

Contacts with persons in other countries with similar interests - research, teaching, service; scholarships to support faculty and students who wish to immerse themselves in another country's disability services; workshops on cultural and gobal competence - how to be, how to create environments, how to model, etc; networks for distance communication and sharing of information; assistance with manuevering through the legal and political technicalities of working abroad (short term and/or long term) and of bringing international educators to our locations. That's a start!

3. Getting training from specialists in the UK and USA, etc. is very complicated and quite expensive. Could CEC organize topics and speakers who could travel to several centers in the same region, so that each center could share in the costs? For example, we had training done here by a professor at University of North Carolina who went on to Dubai and Kuwait while he was in the region. It was much more economical for the 3 countries to share costs.

We should post information regarding the international contacts on the web. Members who are interested in developing partnerships in regards to teaching and research can get in touch with these individuals/organizations.