2016 Fulbright award winners named

Two outstanding New Zealand teachers will head to the United States to study after being granted 2016 Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“These awards are a special opportunity for the best New Zealand teachers to study and participate in intensive professional development in the United States,” says Ms Parata.

The award recipients are Sarah Kennedy, Head of Special Education at Waimea College in Nelson; and Simon McMillan, Head of the Science Department at Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin.

Mrs Kennedy and Dr McMillan will be hosted by the School of Education at the University of Indiana, Bloomington over four months. They’ll be enrolling in classes, designing and completing an inquiry project, and conducting seminars in local schools. 

“New Zealand and the United States both recognise the importance of education exchanges and the long-term benefits that programmes like Fulbright can provide,” says Ms Parata.

“Our two countries already have strong education ties, as confirmed by the United States Acting Secretary of Education, John King Jr., who I met with at the International Summit on the Teaching Profession in Berlin on Friday. This programme deepens those ties.

“Congratulations to the 2016 recipients. I’m confident they will be effective ambassadors for New Zealand during their time in the United States and will return with innovative new ideas to further strengthen teaching practice in New Zealand.”

The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Programme for New Zealand Teachers is now its third year. This year’s successful recipients were chosen following a rigorous selection process.