Prestigious award will expand international community/educational connections, grow digital citizenship

Aug. 18, 2021 — The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that Jennifer McKenzie of Siuslaw School District in Oregon has received a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award. 

As a Fulbright recipient, McKenzie will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and abroad. 

“It's such an honor, as Fulbright awards are considered the most prestigious international education grants in the world,” McKenzie said.

Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their classrooms in the United States, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars and educators to their school or campus and encouraging their colleagues and students to go abroad.

According to McKenzie, she will collaborate virtually with a team of international teachers this academic school year, attend a Global Education Symposium this spring in Washington D.C. and embark on a two- to three-week international field experience next summer.  

“I'll be a part of the ‘Fulbright Family’ for life and continue to pursue innovative educational opportunities for our Siuslaw learning community,” she said.

McKenzie is Siuslaw’s K-12 District Teacher Librarian. People can learn about her work in area schools by following her on social media at www.facebook.comsiuslawlibrarymediaservices and www.instagram.com/siuslawlibrarymediaservices/.

The district’s K-12 Library Media Science curricular priority standards are: reading advocacy, information literacy and research, digital citizenship and technology integration. 

“My primary intent for pursuing this amazing opportunity was to expand international community/educational connections and to grow digital citizenship cognizance/leadership for Siuslaw School District,” McKenzie said.  

She is a certified English Language Arts teacher, as well as a Teacher Librarian (Oregon Teacher Librarian of the Year 2019). She has also earned five Teacher of the Year awards throughout her career, as well as awards for the U.S. Army whilst serving as a Medical Service Corps Officer.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. 

As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 39 who have served as a head of state or government. 

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce that 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program. Celebrations throughout the year will highlight the impressive accomplishments and legacy of the program and its alumni over its first 75 years, both in the United States and around the world. A dedicated 75th anniversary website is being updated throughout 2021 to showcase anniversary events and to facilitate ongoing engagement. 

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. 

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, visit https://eca.state.gov/Fulbright.