Program Area: TESOL | English Teacher Training

Content-Based Instruction

Instructors

Participants will have one of these instructors for the course:

Kara McBride

Dr. Kara McBride is an expert in teacher training, curriculum design, and technology-enhanced learning, working on education projects worldwide since joining World Learning in 2016. She has designed online teacher training courses for the U.S. Department of State’s OPEN program, reaching over 25,000 participants in 100+ countries. In addition to her role at World Learning, Dr. McBride serves as an affiliated Associate Professor at SIT Graduate Institute. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at Saint Louis University, and she holds a PhD in second language acquisition and teaching.




Lois Scott-Conley is an experienced teacher educator with a focus on curriculum design, experiential learning, and teacher reflection. Since 2001, she has designed and led professional development programs for educators globally through her work with World Learning. She has extensive experience developing and teaching content-based courses for English language teachers, both online and in person. In addition to her role as Senior Education Advisor, she taught in the MA in TESOL program at SIT Graduate Institute and supervised pre-service teachers. Lois is passionate about equipping educators with practical, learning-centered teaching strategies that enhance learning in diverse contexts.

Youth Leadership & Civic Engagement

From 2014-2016, World Learning implemented the U.S. Department of State-funded Developing Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement in Northern Nigeria through English Language Training (YLCEN) program.

YLCEN was designed to have a positive message with a communicative and participatory curriculum that would enable youth to resist the call of violent extremism. The program aimed to increase hope, tolerance, and a sense of community in at-risk youth by involving them in leadership and civic engagement activities through youth clubs, strengthening English teachers’ skills in participatory teaching methodology, and developing the ability of local partners to implement programs for at-risk youth. More than 200 youth, 20 local teachers, and two local civil society organizations participated in the program in six neighborhoods in the northern cities of Jos and Kano. Both cities have experienced religious extremist violence from groups including Boko Haram in the last decade and have high unemployment and dropout rates.

Through the dedicated work of the local partners and World Learning-trained teachers, the youth club members reported they were more interested in returning to school or to begin small-scale entrepreneurial pursuits. They also felt they had a better connection to their communities through volunteer projects and reported a greater willingness to engage with people outside of their religion, ethnicity, and gender.