2024 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Meeting
Share knowledge and develop a sense of community around civic learning and democratic engagement.
American Democracy Project Resources
AASCU’s immediately actionable resources give state college and university leaders vital insights and practical guidance supporting institutional transformation.
AASCU Study Abroad Opportunity: Teach English in France
Learn about an exciting student professional development opportunity in France.
AASCU Study Abroad Opportunity—Teach English in France
An extraordinary opportunity for students to be immersed in the rich culture of France, while making a lasting impact in public schools throughout France.
Applications open Oct. 15.
Imagine living and working in the captivating landscapes of France, immersing oneself in its rich culture, and getting paid to teach English to enthusiastic French students.
The Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) offers a remarkable postgraduation academic and professional development opportunity for university students. Participants ages 20 to 35 have the chance to experience living and working in France through a seven-month work contract, teaching English to French students of all ages in public schools across France, including Departements d’Outre-Mer (overseas departments such as Martinique and Guadeloupe.)
TAPIF isn’t limited to language enthusiasts alone. Regardless of major or field of study, this opportunity welcomes participants from all disciplines. Applicants are required to demonstrate intermediate low proficiency in French at a conversational level and to have completed at least six semesters of university classes.
Who should participate?
- Current students or graduates ages 20 to 35
- Language enthusiasts with a demonstrated proficiency of conversational French who are eager to share their skills and embrace new cultures
- Curious minds from all academic disciplines who have completed at least six semesters of university classes
- Individuals with a passion for teaching and making a difference
How will you benefit?
- Experience an unparalleled postgraduation opportunity to live, work, and teach English in France
- Explore post-TAPIF career pathways in the teaching field
- Earn a French as a foreign language graduate certificate while in France and transfer completed credits toward a master’s in teaching at esteemed U.S. partner universities
- Expand your network and connect with like-minded students and professionals
- Upon completion of the program, alumni gain access to generous MA and PhD scholarships in both the U.S. and France
Testimonial
“Our assistantships allowed us to wear many hats – American culture specialists, lesson planners, public transport connoisseurs, French bakery enthusiasts, group tutorial providers, French administration experts, English department colleagues, public speakers, explorers, and cross-cultural communicators to name a few! Living in Troyes and working in the French school system was an experience of cultural immersion that only intensified our penchant for all things French.”
Program highlights
TAPIF fosters language learning and cultural exchange.
With an annual intake of approximately 1,300 American teaching assistants, TAPIF fosters language learning and cultural exchange, enabling participants to enhance their language proficiency, teaching skills, and personal development in this pre-professional mobility program.
Earn credits toward a master’s in teaching at esteemed partner universities.
TAPIF, as part of the French Embassy’s cultural and education department, also provides exciting opportunities for participants to pursue a career in teaching. The new TAPIF to Teacher program (as part of the French for All initiative) offers a scholarship for a French as a foreign language certificate in France, along with transfer credits toward a master’s in teaching at esteemed U.S. partner universities such as Boston University and Concordia College (MN). Additionally, TAPIF alumni can apply for the Multi-State Pathways to Teaching French program, which facilitates a teaching career through an online curriculum, a learning plan for obtaining a teaching license, and connections with local education agencies.
Program Partner
Applications open on Oct. 15, 2023.
Ready to take the leap?
This initiative is the gateway to an unforgettable experience, where teaching, travel, and cultural immersion intersect.
Don’t miss out on this life-changing opportunity!
Questions about the study abroad program? Let us know.
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All-ADP Meetings
Online professional development opportunities to expand the American Democracy Project community and to increase civic awareness and work on campuses.
Register for the series.Elevate your campus civic engagement with online professional development.
All-ADP meetings are a way to build our community and meet colleagues from across the country. This year, in order to widen and deepen our community, we will have a consistent meeting schedule and a dedicated monthly topic. We hope these meetings can be professional development opportunities and that you can invite colleagues from your campus to join this work, as new topics surface.
Meetings are on second Fridays from 2–3:30 p.m. (ET).
Who should participate?
- Faculty
- Staff
- Deans
- Provosts/assistant provosts
- Campus leaders
How will you benefit?
- Increasing civic ethos on your campus
- Connecting to the American Democracy Project community
- Expanding opportunities for collaboration
- Professional development
UPCOMING ALL-ADP MEETINGS
All-ADP Meeting: Voter Engagement and Education
Nov. 10, 2023
2:00PM-3:30PM ET
Webinar
Register now.Questions about the All-ADP Meetings? Let us know.
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All-ADP Meeting: Leading for Democracy
The ADP community connects to discuss AASCU’s Leading for Democracy initiative.
All-ADP Meeting: Voter Engagement and Education
The ADP community connects to discuss AASCU’s Leading for Democracy initiative.
All-ADP Meeting: Community Building
The ADP community connects to discuss AASCU’s Leading for Democracy initiative.
National Constitution Day Conversations
A national facilitated dialogue based on the fundamental value of the pursuit of knowledge for the public good.
Exemplar Programs from ADP
Explore the rich history, powerful outcomes, and pervasive impact of these American Democracy Project programs.
Global Civic Literacy
Through partnership with World101 from the Council on Foreign Relations, faculty and staff designed curriculum, activities, and assessments to help students increase their knowledge of our global society and understand how global issues influence lives of everyday citizens. Occurring from 2019-2022, more than 80 faculty and staff from over 40 institutions participated in this project.
Resources
For more information and to access the critical resources that they created, please explore:
Participating in Politics
The Political Engagement Project (PEP), a partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, advanced democratic and electoral engagement by providing students with both tangible and critical-thinking skills for participating in the political world.
The Engaged the Election 2016 project, a partnership with The Democracy Commitment and icitizen, a civic engagement app, advanced informed nonpartisan engagement in the presidential election.
Economic Literacy
The Economic Literacy project was in partnership with Up to Us,and included over 40 faculty at 19 institutions. Designed to help students increase their knowledge of the U.S. national debt, fiscal policy, and overall financial literacy, faculty created a toolkit to share their strategies and resources more broadly.
The Economic Inequality Initiative focused on understanding the impact of economic inequality on our democracy while helping students think about and take action to confront its complex causes.
The America’s Future Initiative, a partnership with Public Agenda from 2008 to 2011, focused on educating students about looming national debt and deficits, while exploring potential solutions.
Developing Citizenship Skills
The Deliberative Polling Initiative, a partnership with the Center for Deliberative Democracy, engaged 29 AASCU campuses in the exploration of strategies to engage students, faculty, staff and community members in discussions about public issues and to develop students’ citizenship skills.
The eCitizenship Initiative, a partnership with the Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University from 2009 to 2012, brought together campuses to examine how emerging technologies, particularly social networks, support and facilitate civic and political engagement.
Improving Civic Health and Agency
The Civic Agency Initiative, a partnership with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship from 2008 to 2012, sought to produce a series of national models for developing civic agency among undergraduates.
The Campus and Community Civic Health Initiative, a partnership with the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) from 2012 to 2014, was designed to identify and develop campus and community civic health assessments and tools, as well as action plans that responded to the findings.
Questions about past programs? Let us know.
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