Ball State University has received the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's (AACTE) Best Practice Award for Global and International Teacher Education.

"When the AACTE honored Ball State with a Best Practice Award in Support of Diversity in 2004, we were quite pleased to receive such a prestigious national award," said Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora. "Seeing Teachers College receive a second award in as many years confirms what we've known for quite some time — that Ball State is offering the type of forward-thinking programs that prepare our future teachers to compete and excel in the nation's job market."

The award, which recognizes exemplary practice in preparing educators for cross-cultural and international teaching experiences, was given at AACTE's 57th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Feb. 20-23. 

"Ball State's Teachers College has been a national leader in developing study-abroad opportunities for students and in the integration of global perspectives in all educational programs," said Beverley Pitts, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "This award is a tribute to the significant contributions of our faculty and administrative leadership in these international education initiatives."      

For more than 20 years, Teachers College has offered study-abroad options for its students. The goals of this emphasis are to develop students' global perspective, provide them an opportunity to develop their cross-cultural understanding and prepare them to teach in a more culturally diverse classroom.

By establishing relationships with organizations such as the European Teacher Education Network, Ball State has created study-abroad partnerships with more than 20 international institutions. Students can choose from Liverpool, England; Baumholder, Germany; Negril, Jamaica; and more.

"On average, 40 education majors a year study abroad," said Melinda Schoenfeldt, assistant professor of elementary education. "By expanding their world view, they learn that there are many different ways to reach the same educational goals. It also makes them more marketable in the United States."

In a recent survey, one graduate credited her international experience with helping her secure a job, saying, "My principal thought I would be able to bring new ideas to the school since I had been successful in foreign schools."

The growing diversity in America's schools makes it imperative that Teachers College graduates have a strong grasp of world cultures, said Roy Weaver, dean of Teachers College.

"Every future teacher should have an opportunity to study in a different part of the world to gain insight and develop respect for the richness of other peoples and cultures," he said. "Translating this understanding in respect to their students and encouraging them to explore similar study-abroad opportunities is vital."

AACTE, based in Washington, D.C., is a national, voluntary association of colleges and universities with undergraduate or graduate programs that prepare professional educators. The 785 AACTE member institutions graduate approximately 90 percent of the nation's new teachers and other educators each year.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Weaver at (765) 285-5251 or rweaver@bsu.edu.)