For East Coweta Middle School teacher Tammy Hyder it will be a trip to remember. Hyder will study the Costa Rican rainforest later this year after being selected as a recipient in the 2011 Toyota International Teacher Program.
An East Coweta gifted science teacher, Hyder was one of 26 applicants selected from among nearly 400 applications from across the U.S. for the program, according to Coweta County School System spokesperson Dean Jackson. Hyder will visit Costa Rica Nov. 19 – Dec. 3 to experience the Costa Rican rain forest first-hand and to interact with Costa Rican teachers and students, Jackson said.
Teachers explore the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica and learn about environmental and cultural preservation. Teachers also explore themes of sustainable resource use and biodiversity conservation through site visits, discussions, lectures and hands-on activities, Jackson explained.
Jackson said that while in Costa Rica, Hyder and the other program participants meet with local experts, visit schools and museums, and experience the rainforest first-hand. Participants get exclusive access to Costa Rica’s premier scientists as well as environmental and cultural organizations.
School visits highlight the trip, and participants are invited to rural Costa Rican primary and secondary schools to spend the day observing classes and interacting with teachers and students.
The Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica, which is sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. and administered by the Institute of International Education. The program is for U.S. educators and teacher-librarians (grades 7-12) who teach in U.S. schools throughout the 50 states and District of Columbia.
Participants are selected through a competitive application and selection process. Since the program’s inception in 1998, 635 teachers nationwide have participated in Toyota International Teacher Programs to Japan, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands.
Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. will cover all expenses specific to the program. This includes costs of program materials, transportation, meals, and lodging. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. will also issue each participant’s school a stipend to help defray the costs of participation during the school year.
