U.S. Embassy Teacher Academy | BER NOFO FY23 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for BER NOFO FY23 002

The U.S. Embassy Teacher Academy grant is a Department of State funding opportunity run by the U.S. Mission to Germany to support a multi-year effort that delivers an annual, nationwide teacher training seminar in Germany. The core aim is to strengthen how U.S.-related topics are taught at the upper secondary (high school) level by giving educators and education influencers deeper, more current, and more nuanced content than what is typically available in standard textbooks. The program is designed to help participants bring richer insights about U.S. society into their classrooms while reinforcing democratic values and civic-minded teaching practices.

The seminar is intended for a broad set of participants across Germany, including high school educators, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, senior and junior teachers, future teachers, and even textbook editors. A specific priority audience is "Quereinsteiger" teachers, meaning professionals entering teaching through alternative routes who may be teaching English-language courses without extensive university-level preparation in American Studies. By targeting this group, the program explicitly addresses a common gap in subject-matter grounding and aims to raise the overall quality and confidence of U.S.-focused instruction in schools.

In terms of content, the Embassy is looking for programming that goes well beyond baseline classroom materials. The seminar should provide balanced political, historical, and cultural perspectives; unpack current developments in the United States; and incorporate meaningful attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEIA) as a way to cultivate respect for individual differences and pluralism. It should also explore innovative approaches to global challenges such as climate change and modernization of social, educational, and economic systems, and it should include concepts that strengthen the transatlantic partnership, especially by engaging and motivating the next generation. The overall expectation is that participants leave with updated knowledge, credible resources, and classroom-ready approaches that translate into more relevant and informed learning for their students.

The successful applicant, referred to as the implementer, is expected to have strong on-the-ground familiarity with Germany's federal education system, including the differing curricula and requirements across all 16 German states (Laender), particularly in subjects where U.S.-related content appears most often: English, history, and the social sciences. A key role for the implementer is to act as a bridge between schools and universities by connecting teachers to state-of-the-art research in American Studies and contemporary pedagogy. This reflects an expectation that the seminar is not just informational, but academically grounded and methodologically modern, helping participants translate research and scholarship into effective classroom practice.

Program design expectations emphasize an immersive and interactive format. The teacher academy should be conducted in an English-language environment, positioned as an alternative to a study tour to the United States. Delivery should combine expert lectures with interactive workshops and informed discussions, and it should use technology and up-to-date educational methods where they improve learning outcomes and engagement. The implementer is also encouraged to integrate American voices into the program and to ensure those voices represent a broad range of perspectives and lived experiences, rather than relying on a narrow or single narrative about the United States.

Operationally, the implementer carries responsibility for the major logistical and programmatic components: selecting an appropriate venue, defining and reaching target audiences across all German states, conducting outreach, recruiting participants, and developing and delivering the seminar curriculum. The implementer will coordinate with the Embassy's Public Diplomacy (PD) section, aligning with existing Embassy resources and frameworks such as the national Teacher Academy model and regional seminar efforts. Speaker recruitment is expected to build on established expert networks while also bringing in fresh, innovative viewpoints. Speaker logistics are administered by the implementer in cooperation with the PD section and U.S. consulates, highlighting that this is a cooperative agreement rather than a hands-off grant.

A notable requirement is built-in measurement and evaluation. Applicants are expected to include clear assessment procedures so the Embassy can monitor quality and effectiveness over time and continuously improve implementation. In practice, this implies that proposals should think beyond a single event and describe how learning outcomes, participant satisfaction, and downstream classroom impact will be tracked, documented, and reported from year to year.

From the funding and eligibility perspective, this opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 19.040, offered by the Department of State. The posting indicates an expected single award with a ceiling of $100,000. Eligible applicants include state governments, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status, provided they are not higher education institutions in that category description), and individuals. The notice was created February 15, 2023, with an original closing date of April 2, 2023, and it is identified as Funding Opportunity Number BER NOFO FY23 002.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Germany in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Embassy Teacher Academy" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 15, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 02, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Individuals.

Apply for BER NOFO FY23 002

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