Qatar Foundation International, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Global Exploration for Educator s Organization s Qatar & Oman Educator Tour Spring 2019 Qatar Foundation International (QFI), in partnership with the Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) and the University of Texas at Austin s Center for Middle East Studies, is pleased to announce a funded cultural immersion trip for up to sixteen K- 12 educators to Qatar and Oman from April 7, 2019 through April 19, 2019. Program Overview During this program, educators will explore the city of Doha, Qatar and visit renowned museums such as the Museum of Islamic Art, explore different ecosystems throughout the country and visit educational institutions to gain a better understanding of the country s education system. After visiting Qatar, educators will travel to Oman to journey through the city of Muscat and enjoy the natural landscapes and history of the country including visits to the Wahiba Sands desert and Wadi Nahkr, known as the Grand Canyon of Oman. In-country guides will provide historical and cultural insights into both countries while evening group sessions with representatives from QFI and the Univeristy of Texas at Austin will facilitate curriculum connections and discussion.
Sites and Activities: Please visit https://geeo.org/tour/springqataroman/ for full details of the trip. Qatar (April 7-12, 2019) Museum of Islamic Art Qatar National Library Souq Waqif and the Falcon Souq Tour of Education City Education City Mosque Katara Cultural Village Dhow Cruise Additional Activities To Be Announced in early Winter 2019 Oman (April 12-19, 2019) Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Bail Al Zubair Museum Muttrah Souq visit Mirani and Jalali forts Bimmah Sinkhole Sur dhow shipyard Raz al Jinz turtle sanctuary Overnight in Wahiba Sands desert camp Mud houses of Misfat al Abyreen Wadi Nakhr Funding and Logistics (What s Included) Airfare All air travel will be arranged and paid for by QFI including: Airfare from home destination to Doha, Qatar Airfare from Doha, Qatar to Muscat, Oman Airfare from Muscat, Oman to home destination Meals All meals in Qatar will be pre-arranged and paid for by QFI Lodging All lodging in Doha, Qatar will be pre-arranged and paid for by QFI. All lodging in Oman will be pre-arranged and covered through the GEEO Oman program costs. Each participant will share a room with another participant in both Qatar and Oman. 2
Ground Transportation Participants will receive a $100 stipend to assist with ground transportation to/from the airport in the United States. This stipend will be provided post-trip. Airport transfers in both Qatar and Oman will be pre-arranged and paid for by QFI and through GEEO s program costs GEEO Oman Program Costs The cost to attend the Oman portion of the trip through GEEO will be paid for by QFI QFI Activities in Qatar All activities and ground transportation in Qatar will be pre-arranged and paid for by QFI What s Not Included Meals in Oman Not Covered by GEEO Program There will be a certain number of meals that are not covered through GEEO s program costs. It will be the responsibility of the selected participant to pay for their own meals. Please visit https://geeo.org/tour/springqataroman/ to see what meals are included in the Oman portion of the trip. Visa Costs and Arrangements Participants will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own visas to Qatar and Oman Misc. Costs Funding for miscelleanous expenses such as for souvenirs, additional activites, etc. Applicant Eligibility Applicants must: Be a current K-12 teacher in a public or public charter school in the United States Demonstrate that he/she provides, or intends to provide, classroom instruction on topics related to the Middle East or Arab World Secure and provide a letter of permission from school administration to attend trip Acceptance and Program Deposit Up to 16 educators will be accepted for this program If you are accepted into the program, you will then fill out the GEEO booking form and place a $250 deposit. After you return from the program and have completed all of the curriculum requirements you will receive a reimbursement check from QFI for the $250. 3
Application Deadline Application Opens: Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 5pm EST Application Deadline: QFI will close the application process upon the submission of 100 applications or on Friday, November 30, 2018 at 5pm EST *If you have started an application but did not submit it prior to the submission of the 100 th application, you will receive a notification email that the application is now closed and you will also no longer see your application in the system.* Application Requirements In order to apply and submit your application you must complete and submit the following tasks: Complete application in FluidReview Resume Lesson plan developed about the Middle East or Arab World Signed letter of permission from school administration to attend the trip How to Apply: To apply, you must register in QFI s Grants Management Portal, FluidReview, at qfi.fluidreview.com. Please create a user account and profile. Upon completing your login credentials and user profile, you will be required to take an Eligibility Quiz. This series of questions will determine whether or not you are eligible to apply for this program. After completing the Eligibility Quiz, please click on the green button at the bottom of your screen titled View Grants. This button will provide you with a list of QFI grants for which you can apply. If you are eligible to apply to this specific program, it will show on your screen. Please click on the Apply Now button to complete the application. *Please note that if you applied for the Winter 2018 you must complete a new application for this trip* 4
Contact Information: Qatar Foundation International Please direct all questions regarding the following to Craig Cangemi at ccangemi@qfi.org. Application process in FluidReview Questions regarding what is included and not included in the trip All aspects of the Qatar portion of the trip GEEO Please direct all questions regarding the following to Jesse Weisz at jesse@geeo.org All aspects of the Oman portion of the trip (except for air travel) 5