Reynolds has

taught for two years at John Hope Elementary School in Atlanta, where

in addition to her third-grade class she also serves as school coordinator

for the Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning program.

APAL allows

students to work with artists in varied disciplines and led Reynolds'

own class to write, produce and publish a play, said Gwendolyn Elmore,

the school's principal.

Reynolds wrote

the proposals for both the APAL grant as well as another grant from The

Council of Intown Neighborhoods and Schools. This grant enabled her to

start "The World at My Fingertips," which uses international

books and other lessons to teach her students about the world. The impact

of this program has been tremendous, said colleague Miriam Ferrell.

"She has

been able to help students 'travel' to various countries via books, encyclopedias,

magazines, computer technology, pictures, letters and a host of other

documents," Ferrell said. "The students are so excited. They

have actual passports, complete with pictures and flag stamps of countries

to prove they were actually there."

Afatsawo was

honored for his exemplary work as a cultural ambassador to the students

and teachers at Capitol View Elementary School in Atlanta, where he has

taught French for three years. He immigrated to Canada from Ghana, and

colleagues said that Afatsawo taught students, parents and the community

about the cultures of both Canada and Africa.

Beverly Boucaud,

a teacher at Capitol View Elementary, said that the cultural lessons started

with teaching students how to pronounce his name and continued through

French lessons, national foods, and field trips.

"He has

continually infused a culture-sharing aspect into his weekly lessons to

inform students of the ways people in other places live," Boucaud

said. "Moreover, he has shared his culture and language with staff,

parents and other community members through various cultural-diversity

programs.

VIF's more

than 1,700 international exchange teachers work in eight states: North

Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, Kansas, Colorado

and California. VIF also enables schools in Great Britain to host international

teachers from the United States.

For more information,

visit www.vifprogram.com .