Where Can I Student Teach Away/Abroad?

For UMF Elementary and Secondary Education students, there are opportunities to student-teach abroad/away in Alaska, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Each program varies in length, grade levels and disciplines, as well as financial structure.

ALASKA

Teacher with students in Alaska

Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD)

This program offers placements for Elementary and Secondary Education majors in remote school villages within the LKSD. For this full-semester (16 weeks) student teaching placement, participants will pay UMF for 16 credits of UMF tuition and fees. LKSD will provide round trip airfare, pickup and transportation to the school community, and shared housing with another school teacher, for the duration of their program, at no cost to the students.  Students will be responsible for all other costs and expenses associated with the program, including, but not limited to, meals, personal expenses, health insurance to include medical evacuation coverage, and other travel expenses while at LKSD.

Estimated Budget

Daegu International School (DIS)

For this full-semester (16 weeks) student teaching placement, participants will pay UMF for 16 credits of UMF tuition and fees. DIS will provide on-site housing for the University students, for the duration of their program, at no cost to the students.  Students will be responsible for all other costs and expenses associated with the program, including, but not limited to, visa, airfare, transportation to school community, meals, personal expenses, health insurance to include medical evacuation coverage, and other travel expenses while at LKSD.

Estimated Budget

Student Teach Abroad Eligibility
  • Be enrolled at UMF full-time in the semester prior to student teaching abroad.
  • Have completed a minimum of one semester of full-time (min. 12 credits) study in residence at UMF by the application deadline. AP and transfer credits are not considered.
  • Have a 3.25 minimum cumulative UMF GPA.
  • Good disciplinary and academic standing. No Incomplete grades at time of application or during program.
  • Meet all other eligibility requirements for UMF Student Teaching.

How to Get Started…

Request an Appointment
  • Learn about the various student teach abroad/away options
  • Receive information on programs and locations that interest you
  • Learn how to choose a program that best meets your need
  • Learn about UMF’s student teach abroad/away approval process, step-by-step

Early planning is the key. Begin the process well in advance, working with your UMF academic advisor and the Office of Global Education, to determine the best program for you.

How to Apply

Once you have decided on a student teach abroad program location and term, you can begin the application process, which is almost completely online, with the exception of a few select forms.

STEP 1: When you meet with your Advisor during advising weeks, submit the Student Teaching Signup Form to indicate your interest in Student Teaching. NOTE: This form is closed when advising weeks end.

STEP 2: You will receive an email from the Education Division informing you of the dates of the first set of Student Teaching Information meetings, held in early November/April. You will also receive information about UMF Education Division packet materials for you to review prior to your meeting.

STEP 3: Attend the first Student Teaching meeting with Hiram Sibley, Director of Field Services. After the meeting with Hiram, you will be provided with a Google folder into which you will upload the following:

  • Application for UMF Student Teaching (Fillable PDF OR handwritten form, scanned and uploaded)
  • Resume
  • Letter of introduction -The letter of introduction should include a brief background about your passion for education, including any experience you have had so far related to the profession, i.e., summer camps, tutoring, subbing, etc. You want to demonstrate to your future mentor teacher and principal your philosophy and what your hopes are as a future teacher of the 21st century. THINK before you write, PROOFREAD, and have another person proofread.

STEP 4: Submit the Office of Global Education Application to Student Teach Abroad/Away – Request application password from Office of Global Education

NOTE: The following required documents will need to be prepared in advance, saved in the appropriate file format and submitted via the online application.
  • Essay – please explain why you want to student teach abroad/away, including any linguistic and/or cultural components that contributed to this decision; what you expect to gain from a classroom experience abroad/away; and how this experience will contribute to your future classroom teaching. Also discuss your previous field/classroom experiences. Your uploaded document must include your name on the first page. (pdf)
  • Unofficial Transcript – download student copy from your Mainestreet Student Services Center. (pdf)
  • Copy of valid passport (information page) OR copy of receipt from submitted passport application – Required only for placements abroad. (pdf)
  • Study Away Budget Estimate-Financial Resources Form  – Download Excel file here. Once you have completed the budget estimate information, save the form again and email it to leustis@maine.edu. Your form will be reviewed, updated with any necessary changes, signed by the study abroad advisor and emailed back to you. You will then use that version to discuss with a Financial Aid Officer and complete the financial resources section and obtain a signature from FAO. (Excel)
  • Resume (pdf)
  • Letter of Introduction (see details for letter above in STEP 3) (pdf)

STEP 5: The following are additional submissions/processes required to complete your Office of Global Education Application to Student Teach Abroad/Away.

  • UMF Study/Intern/Teach Away Conduct Review Form – Submit this Google form
  • UMF Student Teach Abroad/Away Faculty Reference Form – Academic – provide this Google form link to your faculty of choice for an ACADEMIC REFERENCE
  • UMF Student Teach Abroad/Away Faculty Reference Form – Field Supervision – provide this Google form link to your UMF faculty field experience supervisor (for practicum or advanced practicum) for a FIELD SUPERVISION REFERENCE

Application Deadlines

Please note that UMF Student Teach Abroad Application deadlines are one year in advance of when you wish to participate.

> Fall Student Teaching: December 1 in academic year prior to placement

> Spring Student Teaching: April 15 in academic year prior to placement

Note: After submission of UMF application materials and receipt of UMF approval, further application submissions are required for host schools. Following these steps, students will be interviewed by the host schools, who will make the final selections for participation.

Apply Now – Request application password from Office of Global Education

Pre-Departure Process

Visit our Pre-Departure Page for important information and required processes. Deadlines for submissions are noted on the page.

Office of Experiential & Global Education
University of Maine at Farmington
106 Fusion Space
117 South Street
Farmington, Maine 04938
Phone: 207-778-7122
exchangeprograms@umf.maine.edu