About the Author: Tara D. Sonenshine serves as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

In a public school in Ukraine, the State Department’s longtime efforts to support the human rights, dignity, and inclusion of all people was in clear evidence.

Located in the Kyiv district of Obolon, School #168 is the only school in the area where physically disabled children are integrated into regular classrooms. With help from State Department funding, the school offers intensive English language training, and integrates American culture and civic engagement as part of its enhancement activities.

At my recent visit there, students — with and without disabilities — greeted me in traditional Ukrainian costume. They presented decorated Ukrainian bread, and sang a local welcoming song. They ushered me through… more »

About the Author: Marti Estell serves as Director of the Office of English Language Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

From Algiers to Zimbabwe, we hear how people want to learn English. Children in orphanages in Mali, law enforcement professionals in Indonesia, and women entrepreneurs in Pakistan all share an interest in speaking English. Here at the State Department, we understand how English fluency lets people take charge of their futures: it builds leaders who can do their part to promote more prosperous, equitable, and stable societies.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is helping millions of people around the world create brighter futures by providing access and improving the quality of English learning. We support teachers and learners because English proficiency opens doors to new economic, cultural, and educational opportunities. With the help of Regional English Language… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the signing of the “Declaration of Learning” at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on January 30, 2013. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Dr. James Billington of the U.S. Library of Congress speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Dr. Vartan Gregorian of the Carnegie Corporation of New York listen at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., January 13, 2012. Secretary Clinton presented President Karzai with a gift from the U.S. Library of Congress and the Carnegie Corporation of New York – a digital copy of the entire body of Afghanistan-related works at the library, as well as a framed copy of a rare manuscript from the collection. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Dawn L. McCall serves as Coordinator of the Bureau of International Information Programs.

The Internet may be important, but it’s not everything. In rural Afghanistan, courageous and talented young women who have never heard of the Internet are using skills today often associated with social media users — initiative, resourcefulness, and social connections — to make tangible contributions to their community.

During a recent visit to the Guzara district outside Herat, near Afghanistan’s western border with Iran, I saw teenage girls training themselves in English and leading language classes for their younger peers. These women worked with the Afghan Women Educational and Professional Improvement Organization, an ambitious organization housed in a sparsely furnished three-room office. This organization provides curriculum planning resources for teachers at a nearby girls’ school, study space for that school’s students, and — as the young, aspiring English… more »

About the Author: Ambassador J. Adam Ereli serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Solving the world’s biggest problems starts with one idea, by one individual, in one community. And those leaders must be equipped with new knowledge, resources, and networks in order for their ideas to thrive.

The State Department’s Community Solutions Program is in its second year and empowers community leaders with the tools and skills to change the world. For the past four months, 58 young professionals from 28 countries participated in a fellowship at U.S. community-based non-profits, government offices, or legislative bodies to see how American institutions address complex challenges. 

Community Solutions Fellows worked with American community leaders to enhance their practical expertise, leadership skills and professional contacts to address… more »

About the Author: Meghann Curtis serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Last week, we celebrated International Education Week here in the United States and around the world. New data in our annual Open Doors Report shows that international students are coming to the United States in higher numbers than ever, and more American students are going abroad to more diverse places. Students who seize the chance to study abroad enrich classrooms across the globe and return to their home countries to become leaders who promote more prosperous, equitable, and stable societies. Here at the State Department, our goal is to help a wider range of students have access to international education.

On November 20, I had the opportunity to join Eileen… more »

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

To mobilize support for teachers worldwide and to ensure we can meet the educational needs of future generations, the State Department celebrates the 19th annual UNESCO World Teachers’ Day. Whether through an alphabet lesson or a taste of astrophysics, teachers are at the start of every journey. Educators in and out of the classroom are responsible for so much good in the world, and it’s only fitting that we honor their contributions.

This week, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs hosted a two-day symposium for teachers interested in integrating global content into their lesson plans. Participants included 68 American… more »

About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer in the United States. If they haven’t already done so, students all across our country are heading back to school this week. And for more than 270,000 of them, this school year will also be the start of a whole other adventure — studying abroad!

If you want to understand another country and its culture, institutions, and languages, there’s no substitute for living there, whether for a few weeks, a semester, a year, or longer. The friendships that these experiences foster are life-changing, and they form the basis of our country’s international relationships for years to come. Students with that experience are more confident and better prepared to engage globally. Studying abroad also enriches the campuses and communities around you.

In short, study abroad expands your world: new insights, places, and people… more »