Exploring for Equity: A Quest for Understanding & Eradicating Educational Disparities

DU Window     I've been in Delhi now for three days.  The first day I met the USIEF coordinators and attended an orientation session that was planned for the fifteen Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellows, but was extremely valuable for me as well.  The Nehru fellows are primarily between bachelor's and master's degrees and spending nine months researching an area of interest.  The young man I chatted with most is going to Mumbai to learn about the use of the mangrove forests to combat carbon and climate change.  When I think back to my 23-year old self, I was in no way mature enough to take on such a global issue in a foreign country.  These are the minds that will be the change-makers of tomorrow.   Dean's Office Waiting     Day two was spent at Delhi University.  I finally met my faculty advisor, Dr. Latika Gupta.  She showed me around campus and introduced me to other faculty and a few graduate students.  She's an incredible educator with a critical eye for system

 14 August 2022 This time last year I attended the welcome orientation for the 2021 cohort of DAT participants.  Of the twenty teachers chosen, all except two of us have completed their exchanges and many went in January of this year.  Given that I had extra time to prepare, I had grandiose ideas of having my preliminary research complete, a literature review written and a body so fit that I'd be cast as an extra in a Bollywood film.  Needless to say, I've accomplished none of these.  However I have spent a significant amount of time thinking globally about education and policy, learning about the effects colonialism on education, connecting the dots between patriarchy and disparity, and exploring NGO school projects working to provide opportunities to underserved students.   I got married to ease the paperwork of the visa process.  It didn't work (the paperwork, not the marriage), but it gave me a reason to reconnect with some of the most important people in my life - my h

  12 August 2022 Although I enjoy traveling and exploring new areas, India was never high on my list.  It just seemed too big, too bustling and too much to take on.  So in many ways I didn't choose India, but India chose me. For several years I have aspired to complete a Fulbright teacher exchange program.  The opportunity to travel and learn from other educational professionals seemed like the perfect inspiration.  Each year I waited for the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teacher Short Term  programs to be released and scoured the descriptions for something that fit my credentials and experience.  During winter 2021, while searching for the next application I came across the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research .  The application was open and suggested researching participating countries' profiles.   I began with Greece, then Colombia, then Vietnam and eventually landed on India.   A section of India's profile mentioned the National Education Policy 2020