How I paid for my trip to Senegal and Morocco

Megan Murphy, French Teacher, Maple Heights High School

Fund for Teachers is an organization that understands that investing in the professional development of our teaching staff is one of the best ways to invest in our students. Furthermore, they trust that teachers know best which learning experience they need to reach that goal. Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has invested $32 million dollars in nearly 8,500 teachers.

In Ohio Fund for Teachers works in partnership with the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation to offer several grants each year. You may apply for up to $5000 dollars to fund your professional development experience. You may apply individually or as a team of teachers. The application for next summer’s fellowships is due by January 20, 2020. 

Through the grant with Fund for Teachers, I was able to plan a trip to two different African countries–Morocco and Senegal. I spent two weeks in each country and learned a lot about the cultural traditions and daily life of each place. My language skills have improved, and I expanded my vocabulary and ability to talk about topics such as drumming, farming, religion, and African fruits, plants, and animals. It was an amazing experience and will help me diversify my teaching to represent the many different faces of the francophone world.  

I believe the mission of Fund for Teachers is a perfect fit for language educators, and I encourage you to look at the data base of past projects  and consider applying for a grant for next summer.