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Teachers of tomorrow learn in the world of today

2021/09/15 by

“PraxisPro”, a project by the ZfL, has been selected for funding by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The funding amount of 600,000 EUR will be invested in promoting Intercultural competence through study abroad experiences. Student teachers can apply for scholarships to study at selected partner universities in the US and beyond.

Internationalizing Teacher Education – The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds project for the international exchange of student teachers with a STEM focus.

TU Darmstadt successfully applied for funding under the DAAD program line “Lehramt.International” with its project “PraxisPro: Professionalization of teacher training through structured internationalization offers in the teaching profession” by the Center for Teacher Training (Zentrum für Lehrerbildung, ZfL). It is funded with 600,000 EUR and includes scholarships for teacher students at high schools and vocational schools.

Between 2021-2024, the ZfL will create structured and institutionalized study abroad programs for student teachers, which are especially tailored to the STEM degree programs of TU Darmstadt. This means that student teachers will have so-called “mobility windows” in their curriculum, i.e. fixed opportunities and time periods in which they can study abroad and gain practical experience at international schools. This does not only allows them to develop relevant skills for preparing their future learners for a global world, it also prepared them for their increasingly diverse classrooms.

Together with TU Darmstadt’s International Office, ZfL will locate a network of international partner universities and partner schools. Via the internship exchange, students will then be provided a pool of schools abroad from which they can choose a suitable school for their internship.

PraxisPro is the first internationalized teacher training program offered at the TU Darmstadt. In addition to the international exchange, the aim of the program is in particular the intercultural, linguistic and (professional) practical competence development of students and university lecturers.

In addition, PraxisPro students benefit from a scholarship program with which students can fund their stay abroad. The ZfL will be happy to advise students interested in this program starting this summer. A homepage with comprehensive information is planned to go online in winter semester 2021/2022. Furthermore, the ZfL will offer preparatory workshops and summer/winter schools. The kick-off will take place digitally via Zoom on 15 and 16 November 2021. At this event, information about the project and the scholarship program will be provided and the first cooperation partners will be introduced.

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has been selected as the first partner university to run the program. Together with the College of Education and Human Development of UTSA, students will be provided with a joint intercultural learning experience. This cooperation provides a combination of teaching and practical stays at the universities of Darmstadt and UTSA as well as at local partner schools. The students will thus gain mutual insights into country- and culture-specific school and teaching landscape. The first application phase for the exchange is expected to start in late 2021. Interested students can find out more about the scholarship program on the ZfL homepage starting this summer or contact Dr. Ruth Maria Mell () directly by email if they are interested.