Grants for Teacher Travel to Mongolia and Beyond

Want to learn about a teacher travel grant to Mongolia? What about Morocco, Colorado and Mexico? Read on!

Teaching Traveling: Welcome to Angela Guy! Angela, tell us about your background.

Angela: I am a National Board Certified teacher from Texas and currently live here, but have taught in one other state and one foreign country. I am single, no human kids (just a horse and a couple cats!), and have been teaching for 27 years. I teach Visual Arts grades 9-12, Drawing, Painting, and Digital Art levels 1 – 4 and Advanced Placement in a public Houston area high school. 

TT: Nice! Tell us about your teacher travels.

T: My very first “teacher travel” was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1999, I lived in Ghana, West Africa and taught at a high school there… Years later, I received a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad to Morocco in 2009 for 6 weeks where we studied Moroccan Amazigh culture, took Arabic classes, learned about the arts, food, etc. Even took a camel ride in the Sahara… an incredible experience!

Since then I have participated in a few National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) seminars, which have all been amazing, fulfilling and enlightening. In 2010, the NEH was 2 weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico where we studied the indigenous cultures there.

In 2017, the NEH was 2 weeks at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado studying the ancient Pueblo culture… in 2023, the NEH was 1 week at Heart Mountain in Wyoming, learning about the World War II imprisonment of Japanese American citizens. 

My most recent trip this past summer was three weeks to Mongolia through the American Center for Mongolian Studies, which was an absolute trip of a lifetime! With ACMS, we traveled throughout Mongolia studying the archaeology of horses and human history in Mongolia, including the domestication of horses and how they transformed life in East Asia.

I’m currently applying for a Fund for Teachers to explore the Peruvian Amazon for summer.

TT: WOW! How do you find your travel opportunities?

A: In the beginning, it was through teacher friends, but now mostly through websites and Facebook groups.

TT: How did you find the money to fund your travel?

A: Many of the trips have been fully or partially funded as part of the application (Fulbright-Hays was almost entirely funded but required $1000 good faith payment from participants; NEH funding varies, sometimes it covers everything, sometimes it doesn’t), but for my most recent travel to Mongolia for the Horses in History Field School, I received a $500 grant, then did a small Go Fund Me to cover the tuition, the rest (airfare, travel insurance, etc.) was on my credit card (though my wonderful parents did help with the airfare)! 

TT: Nice. Tell us one moment from your travels that was particularly powerful.

A: Many places I have been remind me how lucky we are living where do and how we live. Part of the group rose at 3:45 am to get to the deerstones at Jargalantyn Am, Mongolia, so that we could view them at the time of day they were meant to be seen as the sun rose… very beautiful and emotional. 

TT: How have your travels impacted you as a teacher and as a person?

T: Any travel has the power to change you. The more amazing things I see and experience and incredible people I meet, the more I can bring back to my students. I have always been fairly open minded, but travel has increased that and my awareness that generally all people are good.

I am more willing to take risks, meet others that are different from me, try activities or foods I would have never (lamb intestine sandwich, anyone? :-o )! Travel reminds me just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s wrong… a sentiment I tell my students often.

I try to help my students “travel the world” with the art projects they do based on what I learned in my travels. Students have learned about the ancient Mixtec culture of Oaxaca and created their own versions of codex pages.

They have also created zellige tiles after learning about Moroccan art and cultures. This school year, they will be learning about art as political protest, based on what they learn about the wrongful imprisonment of Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain during World War II.

Overall, my travels inspire me to be a better teacher and help me  broaden my students’ view of the world and those we encounter that may have different views. That also includes the importance of Nature and our impact upon it.

TT: Absolutely. What advice do you have for teachers who are dreaming of travel, or travelers dreaming of teaching?

A: Go do it! Life is short! Cliché but true… There are so many great opportunities out there for teachers of all subjects and grade levels.

In recent years the Facebook group “Scholarships, Grants, Summer Institutes and Opportunities for Teachers” has been a wealth of knowledge for teachers of all subjects. I also find information on the organization websites directly (NEH and Fulbright). I have stayed friends with many of the teachers I met on my travels, so we often share information with each other as well. 

TT: Thanks so much, Angela! Readers, what questions or comments do you have?