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URochester to host prestigious Fulbright Program for international teachers for a fourth consecutive year.

The ’s&�Բ�����;Warner School of Education & Human Development will welcome its fourth consecutive cohort of the . This year, 19 exceptional educators from 14 countries will spend the semester engaged in graduate coursework, faculty-mentored educator projects, cultural and civic programming, and field experiences in Rochester-area classrooms.

The Fulbright Teachers will travel to Rochester from Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda, and the United Kingdom.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, the Fulbright Program is among the most prestigious international exchange opportunities for K-12 educators. The 2026 cohort represents a wide range of grade levels and disciplines, including English as an additional language, science, social studies, special education, art and design, and library science. Their educator projects will address timely topics such as artificial intelligence and educational technology, multilingual learning, access to education, critical literacy, and environmental education. 

The program partners with the , , and  school districts, where Fulbright Teachers collaborate with local educators to co-design and co-teach multicultural lessons, enriching learning experiences for students across the region.

Hairong Shang-Butler, associate professor in multilingual education and associate chair of teaching & curriculum at the Warner School, serves as the principal investigator and program director. She is joined by Nathaniel Bloemke, associate director for support and engagement in the  within the Office for Global Engagement, as co-principal investigator and cultural liaison; Kristen Love, assistant professor at the Warner School, as school site coordinator; Anastasia Tahou, assistant director for support and engagement in ISO; and Yu Jung Han, the Mary Ellen Burris assistant professor at Warner’s Center for Learning in the Digital Age, as technology coordinator. The program is further supported by faculty and staff across the Warner School and the , whose collaboration enhances professional development, co-curricular activities, and cross-campus global learning.

“Our Fulbright Teachers bring the world to Rochester, and then carry Rochester back to the world,” says Shang-Butler. “Each interaction becomes a rich cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical exchange. In our partner schools, local students gain firsthand exposure to global perspectives, while Rochester-area teachers deepen their practice through collaborative lesson design. When Fulbright Teachers return home, they carry forward the relationships, research, global network, and resources developed here, extending the program’s impact to classrooms and teacher education programs around the world. This is global teacher education at its most tangible: rooted in one community, yet far-reaching in its impact.”

Since 2023, the Warner School has hosted more than 80 Fulbright Teachers, reinforcing its commitment to building a vibrant global network of educators. Each participant is also paired with a Rochester-area “Friendship Family,” a hallmark of the program that fosters meaningful personal connections and deepens the cultural exchange at the heart of the Fulbright mission.