Teaching English in Poland 2008 - Information and Application

Housing:
Teachers and teaching assistants live in dormitories at Polish boarding schools or educational and recreational centers. Teachers of the same gender are assigned two per room. Married couples room with spouses. Teaching assistants may share rooms with Polish students or with other American teaching assistants of the same gender. Facilities vary at each site with updated changes taking place from year to year. Three meals a day are provided without charge in the dormitory dining rooms.

Program Costs:
The Kosciuszko Foundation offers a renowned but affordable international cultural - educational exchange program especially designed for educators and students. Medical/accident insurance for the American participants is provided by the Foundation. (Trip cancellation/lost baggage insurance is not included.) Our Polish hosts provide room and board without cost. During the fourth week, the Polish Ministry of National Education treats our American participants to a tour of cultural and historical highlights.

Airfare, teaching materials, and personal expenditures are at the expense of the participant. Former participants have been successful in obtaining partial or even full funding for airfare and/or some expenses from such sources as: school districts, universities, local companies, businesses, and organizations (ethnic, civic, business, etc.). Group airfare costs will be announced as soon as that information is made available by LOT Polish Airlines.

Applicants who are accepted to the program will receive an Acceptance Form and a Group Flight Reservation Form. A completed and signed Acceptance Form and a nonrefundable program registration fee of $150 per teacher and $100 per teaching assistant must be sent to the Kosciuszko Foundation immediately upon notification of acceptance to the program. The Group Flight Reservation Form and a deposit of $100 per ticket for one of our group flights are to be sent to our travel agent.

Participants must bring their own teaching materials for classroom
interactive language immersion experiences and for extracurricular
activities/clubs. In past years, teachers and teaching assistants have been able to obtain educational materials/supplies, books, games, videos, CD's, sports equipment, crafts supplies, American holiday decorations, and flags as donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations in their home communities. Some basic classroom supplies will be provided in Poland. Some items are already stored on site from the previous summer. Prior to leaving for Poland, American Staff Leaders for each site will be available by phone or e-mail for consultation regarding lessons, materials, extracurricular activities, etc. They will inform participants as to what items and materials are available on site. Teachers and teaching assistants are requested to bring at least twelve small gifts to give to their assigned homeroom students as parting presents at the close of the program and one gift for a Polish staff member. These may be representative of your city, home state, or region. In addition, we encourage participants to solicit small items to be used as prizes for the students. Participants will be asked to contribute approximately $50 to cover tips for services rendered by nonprofessional Polish staff members (housekeeping, maintenance, bus driving, etc.). The American Staff Leader of each group will be responsible for collecting that amount from his/her staff members.

The Kosciuszko Foundation is a 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to promoting educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland and to increasing American understanding of Polish culture and history. Expenses incurred by volunteer participants in the Kosciuszko Foundation's Teaching English in Poland Program may be tax deductible to the extent allowable by current U.S. tax laws. Please contact your tax preparer for current information.

Program Dates (subject to change and verification by our Polish partners and availability of group flight fare discount):
Group reservations on LOT Polish Airlines non-stop flights will be made for round trips between Warsaw and NEWARK and/or JFK Airports, New York and O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois:

• Departure from the U.S.: Thursday, June 26th
• Arrival in Poland: Friday, June 27th
• Teaching Program: Sunday, June 29th - Friday, July 18th
• Sightseeing: Saturday, July 19th or Sunday, July 20th - Saturday, July 26th
• Departure from Poland/ Arrival in the U.S.: Saturday, July 26th
  (Program and travel dates may vary slightly because of group flight schedules and changes/verification by our Polish partners.)

Travel:
Participants are expected to travel to Poland with the group. The Kosciuszko Foundation will make arrangements for group flights to and from Poland for program dates. Connecting flights with other cities in the U.S. as well as extending one's stay in Poland or in other European countries can also be arranged by our agent. Polish staff members from each site will meet our group flights in Poland with chartered buses. Special arrivals and pick-up arrangements for independent travelers cannot be made. Our Polish hosts will provide land travel (on a group basis) to and from our assigned locations as well as to scheduled tourist attractions.

Application Process:
Those applying for teaching positions are required to complete all parts of the application. Applicants for Teaching Assistant placement must complete all sections except Nos.10, 19, and 22. Students preparing for a career in Education who will complete their Student Teaching requirements by the beginning of the program may supply information in those sections, if applicable. All student applicants must fill in current school name, location and level of study in No. 9. Children of participating parents must also submit an application.

Undergraduate and Graduate Credit:

Application
Click here to download the application form (134K pdf format which opens in new window) for the Kosciuszko Foundation's Teaching English in Poland Program and the required Medical Form.

To read and print the above forms you need the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader. If you do not have this free software, click here for download instructions.

Reaplication:
Former participants may reapply by writing a letter to Christine B. Kuskowski, Director of the Teaching English in Poland Program, requesting reactivation of their applications. The letter must also include updated personal and professional information and a current e-mail address. A current Physician's Certificate for 2008 is required.

All applications (in duplicate) and letters of reapplication must be postmarked no later than Friday, February 29th. We recommend that you send in your application as early as possible, well before the deadline date.  Faxed applications are not acceptable. Candidates will be called for regional interviews to be conducted in person or by telephone. All applicants will be notified as to their status. Orientation, workshop, and/or team planning sessions will take place after all teachers and teaching assistants have been selected. Participants will be notified as to dates, times, and places. Teachers are required to attend if travel distance is not a hardship.

Please mail applications (in duplicate) or letters of reapplication by Friday, February 29th, 2008 to:

Teaching English in Poland Program
The Kosciuszko Foundation
15 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065
Tel. Ms. Anna Utecht at (212) 734-2130
E-Mail: cbkuskowski@thekf.org

N.B. Program sites and dates are subject to change and verification by the sponsoring organizations. Passports are the responsibility of each participant. Applications for U.S. passports are available at most U.S. Post Offices. Allow at least five to six months or more for passport processing. Visas are not required for travel to Poland for stays up to 90 days.

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