About Us

About the Sponsor | Program Partners

The Toyota International Teacher Program aims to provide international, professional-development opportunities to U.S. secondary school teachers that advance environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities. Each year the program sends educators overseas for high-quality, two-week study tours to countries that are at the forefront of implementing innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Participating teachers explore social and environmental themes, and apply what they learn to the creation of interdisciplinary, hands-on, and solution-focused educational approaches.

The program is for U.S. educators and teacher-librarians (grades 6-12) who teach in U.S. schools throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The program is sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and is administered by the Institute of International Education. The Toyota International Teacher Program is the only program of its kind sponsored by a major U.S. corporation.

Participants are selected through a competitive application and selection process. Recipients of the award participate in a two-week overseas study tour, during which they explore environmental and educational themes through a variety of site visits, lectures, panel discussions and collaborative projects.

Since the program's inception in 1998, 585 teachers nationwide have participated in Toyota International Teacher Programs to Japan, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands.

Primary Program Objectives

1. To increase global awareness and understanding;
2. To enhance environmental knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity;
3. To instill in teachers a sense of responsibility to actively contribute solutions to environmental problems and empower their students and community members to do the same;
4. To facilitate the development of interdisciplinary curricula that teach environmental and global issues through creative and hands-on approaches; and
5. To strengthen ties and facilitate collaboration among teachers, community members, and organizations, both locally and internationally.

Read about participants' experiences on the 2009 Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica here. The next study program to Costa Rica is scheduled for June 18 - July 3, 2010. Please email us at toyotateach@iie.org if you would like to be notified when the next program is announced and applications are available online. Please also continue to check back with our website for announcements. Thank you for your continued interest in international conservation issues.