Introduced in 2000, this program launches and supports activities that promote the English language as well as improve the quality of English teaching to children and teenagers in small towns and rural areas. Thus it also promotes their equal access to educational opportunities. At the same time, the program contributes to the professional development of English language teachers working in small localities.
Within the program’s editions to date, conducted in 2000-2018, 1033 projects were funded in grant competitions addressed to schools and non-governmental organizations from localities of up to 20,000 inhabitants.
“English Teaching” is an undertaking designed to promote the study of English as well as to stimulate and to dvelop a variety of civic initiatives. The results often transcend the original goals and frequently stimulate activity of local communities. The program’s actions are mainly addressed to English language teachers at public elementary and junior high schools as well as kindergartens in rural areas and small towns. The program’s offer includes training for teachers and it provides them with the support necessary to carry out small projects as well as consultancy in their preparation.
Within the program’s editions, conducted in 2000-2018, approximately 1,000 projects were funded in grant competitions addressed to schools and non-governmental organizations from localities of up to 20,000 inhabitants. As a result, clubs of admirers of Anglo-Saxon culture and English language, little libraries of English-language books and press, as well as theater circles, were set up in many schools. Numerous contests of knowledge about English writers, culture and history as well as song festivals were held. Children and young people had a chance to watch English-language films in their original versions and take part in lessons conducted by native speakers. More than 65,000 students and approximately 4,100 teachers directly participated in the projects financed within the grant competitions. Indirectly they engaged over 170,000 parents and other members of local communities.
The program includes “Weekends with English Teaching” methodological training sessions for English language teachers in small localities.
So far, 137 such training sessions have been conducted with 6,200 teachers participating.
The most active teachers participating in the program have a chance to expand their qualifications at a three-week Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Summer Institute, organized by Gonzaga University in the USA.
Under the program, 16 annual nationwide “English Teaching Market” meetings have been organized for teachers of English and interested institutions, organizations, schools and publishers. A total of more than 8,500 people have participated in them. The meetings are aimed at developing cooperation networks of English-language teachers from small localities and are additionally supported by the community portal and regular e-news on other educational initiatives such as grants, training sessions and competitions.
In 2015, under the initiative of the English Teaching Program Ambassadors – the most active teachers participating in the program – the English Teaching All-Poland English Teachers Association was established, whose objective is to carry out professional training for English teachers, especially those from villages and small towns, as well as advocacy activities on behalf of them.
The Foundation has disbursed $8,022,381, including $630,130 for the current edition of the program.
