Scholarships

Hi UFT!!! We’re back! Last week I didn’t post because Michol and I were in Brasília!! We had a conference for all of the Fulbright ETAs in Brazil. Michol and I are just two of thirty people in our program.  We are helping Letras professors teach English at federal universities all over the country. Some universities have one ETA.  Others like UFT-Araguaína have two.  One university (Belém) even has three ETAs!

I’m telling you this because the Fulbright program works both ways. When you graduate, you can apply to be a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA). You will do what Michol, Oak, and I do at UFT.  The only difference is that you will assist at a university in the U.S.!! Exciting, right?!? Our program is nine months long. We work part-time (meio período) and have a side project.  The program also covers the cost of living, passagens, and basic health care.

Sound interesting? Well, this opportunity and many more are available to you! There are resources for students with great English and less than great English. There are programs for students who have graduated and those who have not graduated yet.  If you want to know more you can visit this website. 

http://www.educationusa.info/faq.php?language=6#.T4niKaumi8B

Taken straight from the UFT website: http://www.noticias.uft.edu.br/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41400&Itemid=1

Estão abertas inscrições para 250 bolsas de cursos de idiomas a distância destinadas a alunos, professores e técnicos da UFT de todos os câmpus. Para concorrer, o interessado deve ler atentamente o edital publicado pela Diretoria de Assuntos Internacionais (DAI). São oferecidas 150 bolsas para aulas virtuais de língua espanhola e 100 para língua inglesa. Os cursos terão duração de até seis meses e certificação pela Universia Brasil.

  And as always you can e-mail us at etauft@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Olympics, Part 2

Hello again! The Summer Olympics 2012 are almost over. Can you believe it?? 

Given the recent historical event in Women's Gymnastics, the second of my posts about the Olympics is going to be about African-Americans in Olympic history. 

This is Gabrielle "Gabby" Douglas. She is 16 years old and is the first woman of color to win the all-around gold medal. She is also the first American to win both the team all-around gold (U.S. Women) and the individual title at the same Olympics. 

The photo below was taken at the 1968 Summer Olympics just 44 years earlier.

The photo is of Tommie Smith (top), Peter Norman (left) and John Carlos (right). In the 1960s the United States was very divided by skin color (racial segregation). During the Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans fought to end this division. 

These three men took the first (1st), second (2nd) and third (3rd) places of the 200m race in Mexico City. They used their time on the podium to protest the violation of human rights. Their raised fists are a symbol of the Black Power Movement. They believed their cause was not just an African-American issue but a human issue. Norman was neither black nor American but he supported their cause by wearing a badge from the "Olympic Project for Human Rights." 

All three men were punished for their actions. They remained friends throughout their lives. African-Americans have won many of the rights for which they fought forty years ago.  While there is still work to be done to end more subtle forms of racial inequality, it is beautiful to see Gabby Douglas celebrated today.

The Olympics, Part 1

Hey everybody! What’s up? In case you missed it (joking) we are in the middle of Summer Olympics 2008!!! Are you excited??? I am!  With this being an athletic time and all, I thought I’d dedicate this week’s post to U.S. Olympic history. 

For starters, The United States has hosted the Summer Olympic Games four times. The last time a U.S. city hosted the games was in 1996 when they were held in Atlanta, Georgia.  The first time was in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri.  The games were held at Francis Field on the campus of Washington University. 

  

Georgia is the turquoise state (GA) right above Florida. Does everyone remember where Florida is?? If not, go back and check the post http://etauft.blogspot.com.br/2012/07/beach-season.html. (Yes, I know the maps are different colors. I don't want you, my students, to become dependent on a color-coated map to remember where the states are) I believe in you!!

Fun fact of the day: I graduated from Washington University!!! And Francis field is still there.  The bleachers are pretty uncomfortable as they are made of wood.  The university cannot replace them, however, because they are part of a historical landmark.

Lastly, I was curious about the Olympic flag. You know. This one:

(photo courtesy of mapsofworld.com)

In case you were wondering, the five rings represent the five inhabited continents. The colors of each ring (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) represent the colors of all of the countries of the world.  The flag of Brazil for example is blue, green, and yellow. Along those lines, the colors of the flag of the U.S. are red, white, and blue. It's amazing how the simplest designs often say so much!

Well, that's all for the day. Come back next week for the second half of my Olympic discussion and as always, feel free to write or comment!!!