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The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Dr. Carly Womack-Wynne, a University of North Georgia (UNG) professor in the College of Education, for a four-month project focusing on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math (STREAM) education and digital literacy in Serbia and Albania. 

"I am very excited and honored to work with colleagues in Serbia and Albania to collaborate on teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development, as well as STREAM program development for early learners," Wynne said. "International experiences and collaborations are an excellent way to help you critically analyze your own practices through the lens of other cultures. Public diplomacy projects like Fulbright and English Language Specialist awards really are a fascinating process that I greatly enjoy."

Wynne's project is one of approximately 240 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year, according to a State Department release.  

She will be working with partner institutions to create a STREAM course for pre- and in-service teachers of the very young in Serbia, focusing on reading integration.  Her activities in Albania include participation in a digital literacy forum and workshops on the integration of artificial intelligence into teacher training programs.

This is Wynne's third Department of State award in the last five years.

"Participating in these experiences allows me to bring a global lens back to students at UNG. This is important as we prepare teachers for their future classrooms, as well as the families they support," Wynne said. "I feel like I have learned so many different perspectives and techniques that benefit my own students. By engaging in these types of dialogues and professional interactions, I am able to increase my own intercultural competencies as well as help my students hone theirs."

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad.