Webinar on Polishing Your Application, Tuesday, October 12, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Last Webinar for the 2011-12 Competition Cycle!

Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director, Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Program Manager for the Western Hemisphere, will offer final tips on polishing your application for the October 18 deadline.

Space is limited.

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Fulbright Alumni Ambassador Webinar, Thursday, October 7, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar will be co-hosted by Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. The Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors are a diverse group of Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipients who have conducted research, studied or assistant taught English in an array of countries around the world. Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors assist in promoting the program by sharing testimonials about what it was like to be a Fulbrighter and by offering tips on how to apply.

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Webinar on Polishing Your Application, Tuesday, October 5, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director, Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Program Manager for the Western Hemisphere, will offer final tips on polishing your application for the October 18 deadline.

Space is limited.

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Webinar with Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors, Thursday, September 23, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar will be co-hosted by Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. The Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors are a diverse group of Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipients who have conducted research, studied or assistant taught English in an array of countries around the world. Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors assist in promoting the program by sharing testimonials about what it was like to be a Fulbrighter and by offering tips on how to apply.

Space is limited.

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Webinar with Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors, Thursday, September 16, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar will be co-hosted by Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors. The Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors are a diverse group of Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipients who have conducted research, studied or assistant taught English in an array of countries around the world. Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors assist in promoting the program by sharing testimonials about what it was like to be a Fulbrighter and by offering tips on how to apply.

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar attendance now at:

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Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Webinar, Tuesday, September 7, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar is designed for Fulbright U.S. Student Program applicants interested in learning more about Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) opportunities.

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CORRECTION: Today's Webinar on Finalizing Your Application Has Been Rescheduled to 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

Today's Webinar on Finalizing Your Application will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The link to register remains the same:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/810595499

We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that you will join the Webinar this afternoon.

Webinar on Finalizing Your Application, Tuesdsay, August 31,12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., EDT

Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director and Program Manager for South America, Mexico and Canada, Fulbright U.S. Student Program, will discuss what applicants should be thinking about as they put the final touches on their applications. This Webinar will be particularly useful for those applying through a university with the assistance of a Fulbright Program Adviser.

Space is limited.

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Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Webinar on Tuesday, August 17, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar is designed for Fulbright U.S. Student Program applicants interested in learning more about Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) opportunities.

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar attendance at:

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On Using Your Time Outside of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Classroom, By Mark Beasley-Murray, 2008-2009, Fulbright ETA to Brazil

• What use you will make of your time outside the classroom? (Most ETAs work no more than 20 to 30 hours per week.)

Although this question is the last bullet point listed in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website’s section on developing the Statement of Grant Purpose for Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grants, it is certainly not least in significance.

Because I’m a Fulbright ETA alumnus and because there is much room for interpretation on how ETAs might spend those 20-30 hours per week outside of the classroom, I thought I would delve a little deeper and offer some suggestions.

So, how does one plan a worthy ETA side project in one of over 50 countries when the location and placement circumstances are initially unknown? Good question. Although there is no easy answer (sorry), there are several considerations to keep in mind while crafting a description of your proposed side project. The suggestions below have proven helpful to other Fulbright ETA applicants I’ve advised – and who were awarded the grant. My hope is that my two cents may prove helpful to you, too.

First, do not underestimate the importance of your time outside the classroom. Since much of your time will be spent outside of the classroom, Fulbright application reviewers are curious to know what you might be up to the other quarter or half of your work week. This is an opportunity to show what you hope to gain from your experience and how you might contribute to your Fulbright host country.

Second, keep in mind that the reviewers evaluating your Fulbright ETA application understand how difficult it is to describe a potential side project without knowing the particulars of your placement. Even though they recognize the difficulty of this task, they still expect you to be able to undertake it, however. Your ability to successfully describe an adaptable, worthwhile project will distinguish your application from other candidates with similar credentials who have not thoroughly thought through what they hope to accomplish. That said, it would be wise to heed the advice offered in the ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS: Developing the Statement of Grant Purpose section of the website: do not be overly specific or grand in your side project proposal. You may have a five-star, phenomenal, blockbuster idea for a research, vocational, or community service project. However, if the project is too location-specific or too involved, this may doom your otherwise strong application if it is seen as detracting from the primary focus of your grant – being an English teaching assistant.

Third, know the range of possibilities in the country to which you are applying. These may vary considerably (as was the case in Brazil where I was an ETA). Your placement may turn out to be far from what you anticipated. It may be urban or rural, in an institution of higher education, in a primary or secondary school with access to educational materials and resources (or without), in one school or several, and so on. Often, the range and nature of ETA placements are described in each host country’s profile. Research those country-specific placements as best as you can. However, keep in mind that, if awarded the grant, you may end up piloting a new ETA placement, let alone one that hasn’t been listed yet on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website. If you have a preference for a particular type of ETA grant, describe how your side project would fit well with that specific placement but would still be adaptable to other placements as well.

Fourth, despite the uncertainty regarding your eventual placement, reviewers will want to be certain that you will be able to accomplish your proposed side project - regardless of the circumstances. While you should not to be too specific in your project proposal, this does not mean that you cannot outline the particulars of your project. Reviewers want to be able to envision your project as clearly as possible. This requires at least a few details. For those who are considering a community group or school-related project, there are some universal points you may want to consider when writing your project description, such as:

• Is your project appropriate for the country to which you are applying? If so, why?
• How does the project align with your expertise?
• Who are the stakeholders in your project? If your project involves community members, how many participants do you aim to have? What is the age group? How will you attract participants? How does it benefit them?
• What are the resources necessary to undertake your project? (Physical location? Art supplies? Computers or Internet connection?) And how would you go about ensuring that these resource needs would be met or overcome? (Additional non-Fulbright funding? Personal out-of-pocket funds? Jettisoning an online component?)
• Where would the project take place? (In a school classroom? In a community center? In a park? In your host country apartment?)
• When and for how long would the project take place? (How many weeks? How many days per week? How many hours per day? Will the project coincide with your placement school’s academic calendar?)
• What will be the tangible outcome of your project? (Student projects? Theatrical productions? Artwork?)
• Who is the audience for your project? How large is that audience?
• How does your project promote the Fulbright Program’s mission of promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries?

The list above is not exhaustive. Each project will have its own particulars. Also, remember that it is not necessary to address every one of these questions in your Statement of Grant Purpose (in fact, given the online application space limitations, this would be a Herculean feat). Still, you should clearly and thoughtfully describe the details of how you will spend your time outside the classroom.

I hope that these suggestions on how to plan a Fulbright ETA side project prove helpful. If you have any questions regarding the ETA application process, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Good luck!

Photo: Mark Beasley-Murray, 2008-2009, Fulbright ETA to Brazil, reading to his students in a Pirai classroom.

Webinar - Introduction to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Thursday, July 8, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

This Webinar will provide an overview of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and offer information on how to apply.

Space is limited.

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Fulbright U.S. Student Program Disability Webinar Today at 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., EDT

Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Mobility International USA (MIUSA) staff will discuss applying to Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Both the Fulbright Program and MIUSA are dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to participate in international exchange programs. The Webinar will cover program basics. All questions are welcome.

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar attendance at:

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How I Obtained My Affiliation, By Katie Day Good, 2008-2009, Mexico

Since returning from my Fulbright-mtvU year in Mexico, my conversations with applicants have reminded me of just how daunted I was by the application process. Somewhere in Mexico - between playing in a mariachi band, staring in awe at Diego Rivera's murals and exploring Aztec ruins - I managed to forget all of the hours I had spent researching project ideas, writing and scrapping drafts and revising my essays. One step in particular was so confusing that it nearly led me to crumple up those drafts and quit. How was I supposed to get a letter of support from a Mexican institution when I had never been there before? Although Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (or ETAs) are assigned their host institutions and don’t need to obtain affiliations, Fulbright-mtvU and Fulbright research or study applications require letters of affiliation.

Securing an affiliation is one of the hardest parts of completing a Fulbright application, but I think it's meant to be that way. Your affiliation letter shows Fulbright reviewers that: (1) you have really thought your project through; (2) you've made contact with people in your desired host country; and (3) they have found your project feasible and worthwhile enough to write a letter in support of it. In a way, your affiliated institution is your “pre-screening committee.”

But don't crumple up those drafts! Securing an affiliation actually turned out to be surprisingly easy. It just took a little bit of planning and patience. The process was so easy, in fact, that I decided to spring for two affiliations instead of one (since my project took place in two Mexican cities). Here's how I found them:

1) Check out the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website for details on the affiliation requirements. Each country has its own requirements. In some places, you can affiliate with only universities or laboratories. In others, libraries, non-governmental organizations, artists, laboratories, conservatories, or writers are also o.k.

2) Don't worry if you don't know anyone in your host country. Many grantees don't. There are other ways to find potential affiliations. Ask your professors. Google is your friend. Do a little detective work to find out who might take an interest in your research. Since I wanted to make audio documentaries about urban Mexican musicians, I emailed anthropologists and asked them for the names of Mexican ethnomusicologists and radio producers. Most academics in the U.S. and abroad are familiar with the Fulbright Program and are happy to help you. The Fulbright student and scholar directories are also helpful ways to find contacts in your proposed host country.

3) Have a well-defined project idea by the time you make contact. You don't have to know all of your project’s details. After all, your confirmed affiliation might end up influencing where and what you study, but know enough to be able to make a good sales pitch.

4) Don't wait for emails! Pick up the phone. A lot of great mentors are out there and willing to work with you, but many of them don’t have time or are not able to answer emails quickly. Instead, call them and introduce yourself. Acknowledge what you know about their work and make a cheery pitch for your project. In my case, after calling several institutions in search of my affiliation’s phone number, I finally reached him at his home. We wound up talking for an hour, and within a week, I had an express mailed letter with his warm endorsement and signature in my hands.

5) Once you've made contact, offer to send your affiliation a copy of your project statement (or rough outline) so they have all the details for writing their letter. It doesn't have to be long and amazing, just a few clear sentences expressing support of you and your project. Ask that they write it on institutional letterhead.

6) Give yourself enough time to do steps 1-5 so that you can give your future mentor plenty of time to write and send your letter.

Once in Mexico, I found that every Fulbright grantee had a different relationship with their host affiliations. Some worked with them everyday; others, like me, met or emailed with them every few months. In my case, my mentors helped me find more contacts and resources in local musical circles. They kept me updated on events that were relevant to my project. Nothing was required of me on a regular basis, but it was up to me to steer my project. Whenever I needed my mentors’ help, all I had to do was ask.

Photo: Katie Day Good, 2008-2009, Mexico, with her mariachi teacher, Pedro Gutierrez, at the School of Mexican Music in Mexico City.

Polishing Your Application, By IIE Staff

1. Make sure that your application follows the directions and is neat and easy to read. A 12 point non-script font is required with one-inch margins. Make sure that the paper copy mailed to IIE is on 8½ x 11" white bond paper only.

2. Be sure your name, field and country are on each page of the application.

3. Do not send resumes. They will not be passed on to the screening committees.

4. Make sure that you are not proposing a multi-country project that is not allowed, (i.e., across world regions, or between or among countries that do not allow multi-country projects).

5. Make sure that you are not listing alternate countries as a 2nd or 3rd choice; this is not allowed.

6. If you are applying for one of the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) programs, be sure to select "Teaching Assistantship," code 5120, as your field of study. Only applicants applying for an ETA program should use this code.

7. Please do not staple anything to the application.

8. Please collate the application in numerical page order and fasten all pieces together with a paper clip or binder clip. Do not staple the application.

9. Make sure to answer both questions asked in item #27 pertaining to felony convictions.

10. Don’t forget to SIGN the application at the bottom of Page 1.

Tips on Submitting Your Application, By Walter Jackson, Program Manager, Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Submitting your Application

1. Don’t forget that all applications must be submitted both electronically AND in hard-copy PDF format. Please carefully follow the instructions for printing your online application, available on the application system website. Please keep a paper copy of your application.

2. Electronic applications MUST be submitted by midnight, Pacific Daylight Time, on October 19, 2009. The application system will not be available after that time. If you do not submit by midnight on the 19th, you will not be able to submit your application. You should receive an email confirming that your online application was submitted. If you do not receive this email, please contact Embark’s technical support immediately.

3. The deadline for receipt of the hard copy of the Fulbright applications is October 21, 2009. This is NOT a postmark date.

4. IIE cannot confirm the receipt of any documents, whether it is your Fulbright application, letters of support or any other supplementary information. Please do not contact us about receipt of all of your documents. We recommend that you send materials to IIE in a traceable format such as FedEx, UPS, etc.

5. Please ensure that your application is printed on only one side of a page.

6. Don’t forget to SIGN the application at the bottom of Page 1 of the PDF version of your application.

After Submitting your Application

1. Continue to work on your language skills. Even if you don’t receive a grant, the time and effort you put into language study will pay off.

2. You are welcome to submit letters of support from your in-country host affiliations after the deadline, but we make no guarantee that the letters will be matched with your application in time for review.

3. All applicants will be informed by email of the status of their application at the end of January. If you do not receive an email by February 5, 2010, please contact us.

4. If you need to change your mailing address after you've submitted your application, you must do so by letter or by email. We will not accept address changes over the phone.

5. Candidates who are recommended to the host country for further consideration will learn the final decision by the end of spring 2010.

6. Please note that for some country programs (i.e., Swiss Government Grants, English Teaching Assistants for France or Germany, etc.) additional applications will be required. Applicants recommended for these programs will be contacted at the appropriate time and will be given the opportunity to complete the next steps of the application process.

Finding Common Ground Through Music, By Rebecca Miller, 2008-2009, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) to Indonesia

As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in West Papua, Indonesia, my success in the classroom depends on an authentic exchange more than my students' intellect and dedication to conjugating perfectly in all tenses. Teaching language sets the classroom course into the domain of real time communication – the creation of new words and thoughts - one that requires a space to meet and make meaningful exchanges. The ability to form words and comprehend their meaning is not enough. We all need to talk about something meaningful as well as ears to listen. For my students and me, music is that common ground.

Songs have been the foundation of my classroom curriculum. I never had to teach my students to sing. It is something we already shared. In my experience, Indonesian people love to sing and music is a very open, noncompetitive part of community life. As a teacher and a cultural ambassador, I listen to and learn the songs and stories of my neighbors and colleagues. I incorporate songs I know and love into English class, teaching students lyrics, asking them to write or verbalize their opinions of popular American music or to think critically and respond to the lyrics of songs they play off their cell phones.

I worked very closely with two Indonesian co-teachers who are talented, articulate English speakers and who are required to teach for a national exam that does not encourage functional literacy. My methods seemed strange: clapping games, singing pop songs, writing reflections on the lyrics, playing board games, acting out mini dramas. Why is our bule gila (crazy foreign) teacher making us play a clapping game in English class? To teach my crazy Indonesian students how to follow directions in English! These activities were my way of sharing ideas on how to teach English with my co-teachers. We developed our lesson plans together: they had knowledge of the Indonesian curriculum and fluency in the host culture, and I brought a different perspective on second language acquisition in the forms of games, songs and activities that promote functional literacy.

After school on Wednesdays, I worked with the student band program. I had an instant connection with many of those students because whatever their level of English, and despite my limited proficiency in Indonesian, we could pick up instruments and understand each other. Everyone knew how to play "Sweet Child O’Mine" by Guns N’ Roses and "All the Small Things" by Blink-182. Actually, everyone but me! Before going to Indonesia, I had never played either of those songs. My students had an “Aha” moment when they found out I didn’t know most of their favorite American rock songs. What a strange moment and true cultural exchange when Indonesian students half my age taught me "Sweet Child O’ Mine," an American song from before my time.

What I learned through all of this is that in order to make language happen, there must be something to talk about. Without a relationship built on common ground, there is no real reason to keep listening and nothing much to say. This is the power of language - it is a gateway to knowing other people. Authentic cultural exchange happens in little ways. Music helps my students make the leap from learning the rules of a language to finding meaning in it. The lessons from my Fulbright experience, the power of language and the value of common ground in my work as a teacher and in making friendships, have inextricably changed the way I look at life. The world feels smaller and at the same time, no less amazing and intricate.

Photo: Rebecca Miller (center), 2008-2009, Indonesia ETA with some of her students.

Paige Battcher, 2008-2009, English Teaching Assistant (ETA) to Thailand

Special thanks to the 2008-2009 Thailand Fulbright ETAs featured in this video: Paige Battcher, Kate Phillips, Derron J. R. Wallace, Karen Sharir, Chike Aguh, Ahna Boyum, Brad Foster and Zoe Samels.

De-Mystifying Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA), By Jody Dudderar, Assistant Director, Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright Program has offered opportunities for U.S. students to serve as English teachers and teaching assistants at schools, colleges and universities abroad for many years. In recent years, the number of countries offering ETA programs has grown from just a handful to 43 in the current 2010-11 competition.

Currently, ETA positions are available in all world regions and additional countries have been added annually.

Since you may only apply to one country and one program, it is important to select carefully based on your educational and career goals, academic background and preparation, language proficiency, and geographic interests.

For example, ETAs in South Korea, Indonesia, and India are placed in elementary and middle/secondary schools and knowledge of the host country language at the time of application is not required. However, ETAs in South America and Mexico usually will be working with university and adult students and must have proficiency in the host country language. Program placements and language pre-requisites for the countries in Europe vary widely. Applicants are advised to read the Country Summaries carefully to learn about the nature of each program and any specific requirements. You should make certain that your Statement of Grant Purpose very clearly states why you have chosen a particular program and country, how your experience, training and skills match the type of placement in the country, and what you expect to contribute to and take away from an ETA experience.

Most ETA programs expect that grantees will engage in supplementary activities such as an independent academic, vocational, or community service project. You should briefly describe what you would like to do in the Statement of Grant Purpose. Because applicants will not know exactly where they will be located, this is not expected to be detailed. Applicants also should not make any location-specific plans for ancillary project. You simply need to indicate the activity or activities that you intend to pursue outside of the ETA responsibilities and why you have chosen this activity or these activities for the country to which you are applying.

Since you are only allowed one page for the Statement of Grant Purpose, you may wish to carry over some description of your supplementary activity or your personal interests in choosing an ETA Grant or a particular country to your Personal Statement. The combination of the two statements should be designed to cover all areas indicated above and any other relative information about you and the contributions that you can make as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

Finally, a few tips about applying for an English Teaching Assistantship:

Beware of the Competition Statistics

Some ETA programs are brand new and therefore may not have received many applications or much publicity in the previous year. In addition, the number of applications for ETA programs overall has doubled in the last two years, a reflection of the growth in the number of countries participating. Given this, you can not reliably predict the number of applications for this competition based on last year's numbers.

Supplementary Activities

If you have a very specific proposal for study or research, you may wish to consider the study/research grant option, since in the ETA program you will not be able to choose where you will be placed, nor will you have enough time outside of the classroom to carry out extensive research. Furthermore, successful ETA's are those who value the experience of working in an educational environment first and foremost.

Prior experience or training in teaching

Experience or training in teaching may be required or strongly preferred in some countries and not particularly relevant in others. Read the Participating Country Summaries and speak to an IIE Program Manager when in doubt.

Extensive experience or training in teaching

Remember, this is a student program. For some country programs, persons with university-level teaching experience or more than four years of teaching in schools, as well as persons who have completed a master's degree in TESOL or a related field may be overqualified. In other cases, those with teaching experience are preferred. You may not fit perfectly the criteria of the country program to which you would like to apply, however, if you have specific reasons why you feel you would benefit from an ETA grant to that country then be sure to express this clearly in your Statement of Grant Purpose. Contact an IIE Program Manager if you have questions. We would encourage you to consider applying to those countries where your qualifications best match the requirements.

Feedback from current ETAs around the world indicates that, in many ways, this program exemplifies the original mission and goals of the Fulbright Program to increase mutual understanding among the people of the United States and the people of other countries. By reaching out to recent U.S. university graduates, in particular, and placing grantees throughout the host country, the ETA programs have broadened the Fulbright Program’s reach and impact, and grantees are having the time of their lives!

An Alumna's Perspective: Applying for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Grant, By Amber Rydberg, 2007-2008, South Korea ETA

Pictured: Amber Rydberg, 2007-2008 South Korea ETA (left) with Mrs. Shim, the KAEC/Fulbright Korea Executive Director on a Fulbright Korea ETA weekend retreat at Songnisan National Park

At the beginning of my senior year, I was aware of the Fulbright Program and what grants were available. Or so I thought. I knew there were research grants for those who had serious passions for very specific topics, of which I felt I had none. There was also a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program for seasoned teachers, but I was just about to graduate from my undergraduate institution and not yet a teacher. And, there were grants for scholars, but I was also not one of those. Thus, in my mind, Fulbright, along with so many other fellowships available to soon-to-be graduates, sat on an out-of-reach pedestal.

Fulbright was removed from that unreachable pedestal when I was gearing up for a half-marathon with a friend. We touched upon every topic including the ominous, “So, what are you thinking of doing after graduation?” question. I wanted to go back to South Korea for the first time since my adoption and teach English for a year. That is when I heard about the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) grant for the first time. My friend told me she was applying for a Fulbright ETA grant to Taiwan. At her urging (and I will be forever indebted to her), she suggested I visit www.us.fulbrightonline.org and look into the ETA grants to South Korea.

I knew what I was looking for in my abroad experience from a previous stay in China. I worked in Beijing during the summer of 2006, and while there, I lived with a home-stay family: a mom, dad, and 9-year old daughter. I tutored my home-stay family’s daughter weekly and learned so much from her about life in China. Inspired by that experience, it became apparent that if I went to South Korea, I would want to teach English at the elementary school level. I would also want an opportunity to live with a home-stay family and to be immersed in the culture to learn as much as possible.

I spent hours on the Internet over the next few days researching ETA grants to South Korea and stumbled upon many useful resources. The most useful to me were the country summaries on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website, the South Korea page and the South Korean Commission’s website. Some countries have Fulbright Commissions, and, South Korea is one of them. The South Korean Fulbright Commission’s website had answers to questions I hadn’t yet thought of. From orientation and home-stay information, to organized workshops and gatherings for grantees, the role the Commission plays, and ETA handbooks from previous years, the Korean Fulbright Commission’s website had a wealth of information waiting to be discovered by applicants like myself. It was a great way for me to decide if the Fulbright ETA grant was the right Fulbright grant for me.

My advice to prospective applicants: Start researching and thinking about the grant(s) you’re interested in early. There are ample resources available to you online: webinars and guidance sessions, videos, podcasts, Commission websites and the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website can help you to decide which grant you’re most interested in. It is important to understand the grant you’re applying for and what it entails before you start preparing your application. If you’re applying for an ETA grant, think about how you can be a cultural ambassador inside and outside the classroom while pursuing your own interests. If you’re interested in arts, maybe you’ll volunteer at an arts center. Do you like games? If so, maybe you’ll volunteer at an orphanage. Are sports your thing? Maybe you’ll join or coach a local soccer team, or begin learning a local, traditional sport. Like music? Learn to play a traditional instrument or join a chorus. There are many options. The project proposal is where you’ll want to clearly describe the passion you’re pursuing, what fuels that passion, as well as how your interests can guide you in your free time. Once you’ve written your proposal, have your peers, professors, and/or family members give you feedback. You don’t want to submit your application with any careless typos or spelling mistakes.