The Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, in partnership with the Ohio State Area Studies Centers, recently concluded its ninth year of the K-14 Global Fellowship Program. Since its launch in 2017-18, the Fellowship has brought together educators from across the United States—and, since moving online in 2020, from international schools abroad—to explore contemporary global issues through regionally grounded, discussion-based sessions.

The 2025-26 program focused on the theme Global Tech Innovations, offering participants a comparative look at how societies around the world develop, adapt, and regulate technologies that shape daily life. Through region-specific sessions, educators examined technological landscapes across Africa, East Asia, Eastern Europe/Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, gaining insight into how communities use technology to address local needs and global challenges. The Centers were also excited to welcome one of CSEEES' newest affiliate faculty members Dr. Sophia Jeong as this year's pedagogy specialist.

This year’s cohort included 32 K-14 educators from eighteen states and the Philippines, collectively reaching an average of more than 4,600 students each year. Our participants represented a wide range of grade levels and subject areas, including world languages, social studies, STEM, English language arts, and career-technical education. Upon completing the program, teachers received curated texts, videos, and classroom resources, along with 2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

We would like to thank our guest experts for leading this year’s sessions and contributing their expertise to the program: Drs. Matthew Shapiro (Illinois Institute of Technology), Molly Blasing (U. of Kentucky), Melinda McClimans (Ohio State U.), Desaray Wilson-Mnyandu (The Children's Book Guild of Washington D.C.), Liliana Gil (Ohio State U.), and Sophia Jeong (Ohio State U.).

As we look ahead, the 2026-27 academic year will mark the 10th anniversary of the Global Fellowship Program, and the Centers are excited to celebrate a decade of collaboration, lifelong learning, and educator engagement!

For more information about CSEEES’ professional development programs, please visit our K-14 educator page or contact outreach coordinator Alicia Baca at baca.31@osu.edu.