China Education Initiaitve (CEI): A Post-graduate Program Supporting Teaching Fellows in China

Deadline: March 10, 2011.

THE CHINA EDUCATION INITIATIVE:
http://www.chinaeducationinitiative.org/

Established in 2008 under the auspices of the Ford Foundation, Princeton University, and Tsinghua University, CEI is an innovative non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate educational inequity in China by enlisting the US and China's most promising future leaders in the effort. CEI has now also partnered with Teach for America’s international “Teach For All” Program.

At the core of CEI’s mission is the “teaching fellow” program, which recruits recent American and Chinese college graduates to serve two-year, fully paid teaching terms in China; in the past many placements have been located in the southern province of Yunnan. American and Chinese fellows live and work together as they teach core subject areas to students in desperate need of qualified teachers.

• Provides exceptional and enthusiastic teachers to schools in need. CEI recruits, trains, and supports outstanding graduates from premiere Chinese and US universities, assigning them as Teaching Fellows to two-year posts in understaffed, low-income schools;
• Works at the forefront of China-US relations as the first and only program to pair Chinese and American university graduates in a long-term service initiative;
• Promotes cross-cultural collaboration by partnering US and Chinese Teaching Fellows in four-person teams (2 US and 2 Chinese Fellows), and connecting their economically disadvantaged and often socially isolated students to a world outside – yet intimately linked to – their own communities;
• Fosters an internationally connected cohort of young leaders who understand firsthand the challenges facing students in low-income Chinese communities, and who share the insight and conviction to advance the cause of educational equity.

Eligibility: Graduating Seniors and Recent Graduates
The basic prerequisites for placement are a bachelor’s degree & English fluency. Chinese language ability, while not a prerequisite, is a strong asset. CEI applicants are generally college seniors or recent graduates, but all those (including international candidates) who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply.

Selection Criteria:
CEI evaluates applicants through a highly competitive three-stage selection process. Selection is based on a number of important criteria, including:

• Demonstrated leadership potential & past achievement,
• Strong critical thinking skills & an intellectual commitment to non-profit / education work,
• Proven organizational skills,
• Flexibility & resilience when faced with the rigors and challenges of living in indigent communities,
• Respect for the frustrations and rewards of cross-cultural living and learning,
• Self-starter initiative & the ability to influence and motivate others, and
• Prior commitment to China, through significant service, academic initiatives or demonstrable genuine curiosity and interest.

Deadline: March 10, 2011

For more information, see http://www.chinaeducationinitiative.org/>