Program Description
Conflict has been a de facto part of U.S.-Russia relations since the close of World War II. However, the United States is not the only nation that has clashed with Russia in recent history. Conflict has plagued Russia and its neighbors since the collapse of the USSR, resulting in a very tense post-Soviet space.
Is there something unique about the conflicts haunting the former Soviet countries? What cultural and historical understandings can provide context to these political and military crises? How has the baggage of the Cold War shaped the current crisis in U.S.-Russia relations? How has the shared Soviet past impacted post-Soviet relations between Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine? The goal of the Engaging Eurasia Teacher Fellowship is to help educators explore the answers to these questions, and more, and to bring that understanding back to their classrooms and their students.
The yearlong competitive fellowship is open to both part-time and full-time educators at the high school and community college level who are interested in deepening their understanding of the history and current events of the post-Soviet space. Fellows will do this through online sessions with expert faculty and scholars, and an in-person (at Harvard University) workshop during spring semester in 2021. In addition to content about regional and international conflicts and disputes, the fellowship will provide an overview of mediation theory and strategies. Participants will participate in a conflict negotiation simulation focused on the region.
This fellowship is funded in part by a Title VI National Resource Center Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The 2020 fellowship application deadline has been extended! Applications are now due May 15, 2020.
Fellowship Overview and Resource Development
Ten fellows from throughout the US will be chosen to participate in the program, which will run for an academic year (September 2020–June 2021). Fellows will be expected to read and view required program materials (novels, articles, films and documentaries), attend in-person workshop(s), participate in program webinars and develop a curricular resource that will bring content from the fellowship program into their classrooms.
Programming for the fellowship year will include:
- 6 webinars throughout the 2020-2021 AY through which fellows will:
1) engage with experts on Russian and Eurasian studies to discuss conflicts within Eurasia
2) work together to discuss classroom applications of the content
- 1-2 in-person workshop(s) in Spring Semester 2021.
- Two check-in sessions where fellows will have the opportunity to get feedback on the development of their pedagogical resource from program staff.
Timeline
| February 1, 2020 | Application available |
| May 15, 2020 | Application deadline |
| Early June 2020 | Finalists notified |
| January 2021 TBD | Opening program workshop (in-person at Harvard) |
Apply Now
Please follow this link to apply to the 2020-2021 Engaging Eurasia Teacher Fellowship. The application deadline is May 15, 2020. Finalists will be notified in early June.