American Professional Partnership for Lithuanian Education

September, 2011                                                                                                           Dr. Karl Janowitz, President

Building Educational Communities in Our Schools

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Summer 2012

A.P.P.L.E., in partnership with the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science, is planning the twenty-second summer of in-service programs for Lithuanian educators, school social workers, administrators, and other school personnel. We invite you to consider joining us in this challenging and rewarding endeavor in sharing educational ideas with our Lithuanian colleagues. 

The Mission Statement of our organization states: The American Professional Partnership for Lithuanian Education (A.P.P.L.E.) is a volunteer international non-profit educational organization. With the support of the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science, A.P.P.L.E. partners with Lithuanian educators to foster the implementation of innovative educational approaches that contribute to the development of a democratic society.

If you would like more information about A.P.P.L.E. and its goals, please look through our web pages at www.applequest.org.  Please feel free to contact Shirley Sabo, Assistant to the President, at 203-758-4600 or Karl Janowitz, President, at 215-627-1693 with any questions or concerns related to A.P.P.L.E.

Applications for participating in A.P.P.L.E. Summer 2012 MUST be submitted by December 1, 2011

 

What types of programs does A.P.P.L.E. offer?

1.   Summer 2012 Seminars, two, one-week sessions, are designed for teachers, administrators, librarians, social workers, and other educational personnel, June 25 – 29, 2012 and July2 – July 5, 2012.  Each weeklong Summer Seminar is repeated during the second week for a new group of participants.  (Note:  the second week’s schedule is adjusted to accommodate the observance of King Mindaugas Day, a national holiday.)  The Summer Seminars will be held outside of Vilnius, the capital city; lodging will be provided in Vilnius for lecturers prior to our departure to the selected site for the seminars.  Applicants will be informed at the time they are accepted as to the site that has been selected for the Summer Seminars.  Accommodations prior to the Seminars and a day after the Seminars will be provided for volunteers.

2.   Dr. Algirdas Grigonis Program (Special Education Presentations) organized for special education personnel around the country by the Kaunas Region Special Educators’ and Parents’ Association, June 25– July 5, 2012 or June 25– July 13, 2012. If you are interested in volunteering in this program, you will fly into Vilnius and be housed for a day or two prior to leaving for the target location. This program may include working in different locations during the two or three week segments.  Volunteers will return to Vilnius and be housed there a day prior to their departure.

3.   Camp Viltis Program offered in conjunction with the Viltis (Hope) organization, this program serves students with disabilities and their families, teachers, social workers, and therapists (June 25–July 5, 2012). This unique program takes place in Giruliai, along the Baltic Sea.  Participants in this program are asked to commit to being part of the entire camp experience.  They work with teachers in learning strategies and techniques for working with students with disabilities. Part of each day includes working with the children who are camp participants to implement their learning.  Volunteers to the Camp Viltis Program will have accommodations provided for them in Vilnius a day or two prior to their departure to the Camp and also on their return to Vilnius.

Who should apply to teach a seminar?

Lecturers may be preschool, elementary, and secondary teachers holding the equivalent of a master’s degree, including those with special education credentials, who have demonstrated excellence in teaching.  We also welcome college or university faculty with specific expertise and excellent teaching skills. We also encourage participation from a wide variety of specialists, including social workers, psychologists, counselors, health care professionals, librarians, computer specialists, and others. We are seeking teachers and other professionals who are prepared to share their knowledge of and are ready to demonstrate their expertise in current theory and practices related to this summer's theme: Building Educational Communities in Our Schools.

Which topics are of particular interest?

Each year A.P.P.L.E. focuses on a specific topic related to education.  Previous themes have included cooperative learning, moral development, critical thinking, integrated curriculum, action research, assessment, brain research, services for at-risk students, the social context of education, education for sustainable development, and the integration of technology into the curriculum.

At the completion of the 2011 Seminars, members of the Educational Development Center of Lithuania and A.P.P.L.E. considered a number of topics for the theme for 2012.  The theme for 2012 Seminars and workshops is Building Educational Communities in Our Schools, to encourage teachers, administrators, staff, families, and the community to enhance education.  Educational settings are most efficient when cooperative partnerships are forged among all stakeholders, for the benefit of the students.   

This year topic requests for 2012 from Lithuania are: Special issues: bullying, behavior management and autism, Pre-school and Kindergarten ages 2-3 through 6-7, EFL: two strands, beginning and advanced levels, Elementary education: how science and other subjects are integrated into elementary education, Secondary Science: how the secondary sciences can be integrated, Technology, Administration: conflict resolution and teacher evaluation, Educating children through the arts.

Participating lecturers in Building Educational Communities in Our Schools must utilize best practices in content methodology; differentiation of instruction; administrative methodologies; teaching strategies that reach all students (“universal design for learning”); inquiry-based science and STEM topics; etc.  Teaching should be grounded in evidence-based methods that promote teaching in diverse educational communities and learning for all learners.

We are especially interested in identifying lecturers who can address the summer theme for educators interested in the following topics: Administration; Mathematics; Sciences (both elementary and secondary levels),  EFL/ESL (both elementary and secondary levels); the Arts; Early Childhood Education (including Kindergarten); Elementary Education; Language Arts; Library Science; Special Education; and Technology.

Priority is given to programs that reflect the theme, but creative and innovative proposals relevant to current educational issues may also be considered.
 

How much time must I commit?

Participants accepted to the Summer Seminars and Camp Viltis must make a two-week commitment.  Lecturers in the Dr. Algirdas Grigonis Program (Special Education Program) may choose to participate for two or three weeks.

For programs beginning June 25, we encourage lecturers to arrive in Lithuania by June 22^nd or 23rd^th to get over “jet lag” and to prepare your classroom and materials and to travel to your teaching destination.

What are a faculty member’s responsibilities?

Strand is the A.P.P.L.E. term for a subject area such as elementary education, mathematics, science, social work, or school administration. Lecturers generally spend 6 hours per day engaged in teaching activities related to the strand topics.  For lecturers teaching in English, actual instructional time is substantially shorter because of the time required for translation. Lecturers also may be asked to present elective lectures or workshops on topics of educational and general interest; engage with Lithuanian colleagues; and assist with evening activities. These informal gatherings are an important component of the A.P.P.L.E. Programs.

A.P.P.L.E. emphasizes cooperative teamwork in the educational experience.  Faculty meetings and planning sessions occur regularly during the summer sessions.   All lecturers and translators must attend faculty meetings. Most evenings and weekends are free. Traditionally, we schedule a Lithuanian ethnographic performance or other events to which lecturers are invited. 

How much should I expect to spend?

• All applicants chosen to become presenters are required to become members of the A.P.P.L.E. organization. Annual basic membership dues are $25.

• Generally, airfare has ranged upward from $1,200. Many lecturers have secured their own grants to help finance the trips and some have obtained assistance from their employers or through community or cultural organizations.

• Unless otherwise noted, lecturers who arrive more than two days earlier or depart more than two days later than the dates of their teaching assignments are responsible for costs of rooms and meals for the additional time. Meals may not be available on site until sessions begin.  Generally, a brief walk will get you to a shop for food or to a restaurant.

• Lecturers must provide their own teaching materials. Limited materials may be submitted electronically for translation prior to arriving in Lithuania.

• Lecturers are encouraged to bring inexpensive gifts and souvenirs for local hosts and interpreters. Most classrooms do have PowerPoint capability.  Copying is available in Lithuania, but whatever you can bring electronically will be useful to your students.  They are quite comfortable reading in English.

• Traveling, seeing the sights, and touring the country during a weekend or free day are highly recommended—but individuals are responsible for costs related to these trips.

NOTE:  We recommend you consult your tax advisor to determine if your out-of-pocket expenses may be tax-deductible.

What does A.P.P.L.E. cover?

A.P.P.L.E. provides interpreters, limited translation of print materials, general office supplies, and limited duplication of materials while in Lithuania, and basic audio-visual equipment.  The Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science, local city councils, school boards, and A.P.P.L.E. subsidize in-country travel to/from/between assignment locations, room, and board. This includes most meals during the sessions, dormitory-style rooms, transportation to and from the airport and within the country, and a social event when possible.  Lecturers in the Summer Seminars will be in Vilnius at the beginning and completion of their assignments. 

During the program, A.P.P.L.E. participants are required to reside in the accommodations provided to our team by our Lithuanian partners—usually these are comfortable but modest dormitory rooms.  Program personnel are usually assigned to single rooms with a shared bathroom.  We may request people share a room when all lecturers are in Vilnius at the beginning and end of our sessions.

The vast majority of participants can read English, but many are not comfortable speaking in English.  Limited materials for classes can be submitted for translation once your proposal is accepted.  Additional details regarding AV availability, handouts and translation will be available upon acceptance to A.P.P.L.E. 2012.

When are the deadlines?

Proposals must be received by December 2, 2011.  Proposals may be submitted as a two-person team; be sure to attach resumes for each member of the team and indicate the primary contact.

A list of recommended presenters and topics will be presented to the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science and the Educational Development Center in early February, and final selection of lecturers will be announced in late February 2012. 

Acceptance packets will be mailed in mid-March 2012 with a Consent Form that must be mailed in by the requested due date. The acceptance packet will also include material that will help you in planning for your seminar and in packing for your trip.

Standardized course descriptions must be submitted by March 31, 2012 for translation into Lithuanian.  These will be used to promote our Summer 2012 Program to participants in Lithuania.

Where can I get additional information?

The A.P.P.L.E. web site, http://www.applequest.org, describes the organization, provides a glossary of terms, and offers photographs and descriptions of seminars in previous years. In addition, the following officers will be delighted to provide more information about this program:

How do I apply? - Two methods

Written application
Your application packet consists of the following documents:

Click here to apply on-line no later than as soon  as possible.  The only thing that you must send by regular mail is the letter of professional recommendation (if you are a first-timer) Please send this letter to arrive no later than December 1, 2011.