English Language Programs

The 2027-2028 English Language Fellow application is now open! If you teach English Language Learners and are ready to take your expertise global, we want YOU to join us.

Apply today for an unforgettable experience. https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/
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South Carolina educator Sierra Nicole Ediger uses her expertise in multilingual education to support learners and teachers both at home and abroad. As a Multilingual Learner Program Specialist with Sumter School District, Ediger helps multilingual students and the teachers working with them thrive in the classroom. Through her work as a in Cambodia, she designed and delivered university-level courses for experienced teacher trainers on teaching methodology, educational trends, online writing, and digital literacy—strengthening the skills of educators who will impact future generations of learners.

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from the South Atlantic Region at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸

Save the Date! 📅 The Fellow application for the 2027-2028 cycle will open on October 1, 2026! We encourage all Fellow alumni, Specialists, and Virtual Educators to apply.

Yes, you heard us—former Fellows can apply, too! For this cycle, Fellow alumni have the opportunity to apply to serve as a Fellow again. ✨

Check out the updated requirements on our website, and spread the word! http://www.elprograms.org

North Carolina-based educator Stephanie Hanes is building lasting people-to-people ties between the United States and China through student-centered teaching, teacher training, and creating spaces for authentic communication.

Now serving her second year as an , Hanes has built student-led English conversation clubs, presented at regional and international conferences, mentored educators, and delivered professional development that equips educators with practical, communicative teaching strategies.

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from the South Atlantic Region at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸

Georgia-based scholar Dr. Usree Bhattacharya is helping shape the future of AI in education—from state policy in Georgia to national initiatives around the world. 🤖

A Professor of TESOL and World Languages at the University of Georgia, Bhattacharya chairs the Executive Committee of UGA’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and has contributed to Georgia’s development of ethical AI guidance and an AI endorsement for K–12 educators. As an , she has translated this expertise into high-impact international partnerships. In Sri Lanka, she trained nearly 1,000 educators and provided technical leadership for the country’s first national AI Policy Framework for its state university system. She also led an eight-month virtual initiative supporting STEM-focused English educators across Eastern Europe. Her work connects Georgia’s leadership in ethical, human-centered AI with educational innovation around the world.

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from the South Atlantic Region at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸

Want to motivate and engage teachers? Give them stickers! 😄

English Language Fellows Diana Cotech and Chelsea Olsen put a creative spin on by designing –inspired sticker albums for a mid-fellowship event in Brazil for Fellows stationed across South America. ⚽📔 Using Canva, survey responses, and what she knew about each Fellow attending the event, Olsen created personalized stickers featuring their unique “superpowers,” along with their host country’s colors and flags. ✨

The result? A keepsake that turned into a dynamic opportunity to connect! Fellows traded stickers, filled their albums, signed each other’s pages, and left personal notes—creating a fun, meaningful memento of their time together. 💌🤝

Sometimes, a little creativity (and a LOT of stickers) is all it takes to bring colleagues closer! 🙌

Miami-based Lauren Rivas is helping students turn their dreams of studying in the United States into reality through the power of English.

Rivas has built a career in English language education, learning design, and educator development across the U.S. and abroad. As a , she worked with students in Mexico to prepare for the TOEFL iBT and develop compelling college application essays—equipping future international students with the language, writing, and test-taking skills needed to pursue higher education in the United States.

Through personalized feedback and a student-centered approach, Rivas helped learners build the confidence to share their stories and take the next step toward their academic goals. ✍️

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from the South Atlantic Region at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸

At the University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, Katie Callahan Neginskiy helped educators explore how can make language teaching more practical, personalized, and effective. Across 11 workshops, 686 teachers and students gained hands-on experience using AI for everything from lesson planning and feedback to English for Specific Purposes. 🤖📚

The project also sparked something that will last beyond the training: a community of educators connecting, sharing resources, and learning from one another. Discover how Katie’s experience blended educational innovation, professional exchange, and cross-cultural connection: https://elprograms.org/story/from-curiosity-to-confidence-english-language-specialist-katie-callahan-neginskiy-builds-ai-capacity-at-the-university-of-tabuk/ 🌍🤝

Delaware educator Donna Bain Butler is helping legal professionals around the world communicate with greater confidence and precision. ⚖️

A Legal English instructor at Widener University Delaware Law School, Butler provides professional proficiency training to foreign-trained lawyers and has led projects across Nepal, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe. In Nepal, she trained federal prosecutors and government officials in practical communication strategies for legal and administrative work. In the Philippines, she partnered with the Philippine National Police to identify gaps in multilingual report writing, translation, and official correspondence, helping shape future English-language training for officers. In Latvia and Georgia, she led comparative-law workshops to strengthen legal English for educators and practitioners.

By combining applied linguistics with real-world legal communication, Butler is strengthening professional capacity, supporting international partnerships, and demonstrating how effective communication builds stronger institutions.

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from the South Atlantic Region at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸

Vermont educator Joe McVeigh has spent decades helping teachers grow—and his impact reaches classrooms around the world.

With over 40 years of experience as a TESOL educator and author, and , McVeigh has led teacher-training and curriculum development projects across Peru, Cambodia, Vietnam, and beyond. From delivering plenary addresses for hundreds of English educators to supporting curriculum design, assessment, and accreditation, his work equips teachers with practical strategies that strengthen English education long after the workshops end.

Whether mentoring educators in Vermont or collaborating with teachers across the globe, McVeigh continues to advance high-quality English teaching through partnership, innovation, and professional learning. 🍎

Read more about the impact of English Language Programs participants from New England at https://elprograms.org/freedom-250. 🇺🇸