Maia Sheppard, an assistant professor and coordinator of social studies education in the University of Iowa College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad Grant to lead a cross-cultural project in Namibia, Africa.

The project title is “Namibian History and Contemporary Society: Teaching for Critical Global Competence with African Perspectives,” and Sheppard is the project director.

Sheppard says the project’s goal is to improve global competence among teachers. The grant will support Sheppard's efforts to collaborate with educators in both Iowa and Namibia.

Sheppard developed the project through an application process with support from UI International Programs and the college’s Grants and Research Services Center. She also collaborated with partners at the University of Namibia throughout the design of the project. 

The grant will bring Iowa social studies teachers to Namibia from approximately June 27-July 25, 2025. Participants will travel as a group to Namibia, where they will learn from historians and education scholars, visit historic sites, and collaborate with Namibian social studies teachers to develop curriculum. The group will include four preservice teachers, six practicing teachers, and two teacher educators. 

The Fulbright grant provides sufficient funding to support the group's travel and activities.

During their time abroad, the group will work closely with Namibian teachers to develop curriculum, co-teach in classrooms, and engage in discussions about global issues, including race, colonization, and resistance.

“My focus is on Iowa teachers and helping improve teaching for global competence, but also teaching about Africa and gaining more insights and knowledge about southern Africa, from African teachers and, specifically Namibian perspectives,” Sheppard says.

Sheppard adds that she is especially interested in fostering cross-cultural conversations between teachers who teach similar subjects in different contexts. 

“I hope to encourage Iowa teachers to think about history and current issues from new perspectives. How do Namibians teach about colonization? How do they teach about resistance? How do they teach about issues of race? How do we teach about those issues from our local perspectives and in our country,” Sheppard says. This unique cultural exchange aims to help educators from both regions reflect critically on their work and broaden their teaching practices.

Iowa educators will share their experiences and the curriculum they develop with teaching colleagues in their schools, districts, and professional conferences, such as the Iowa Council for Social Studies and the National Council for Social Studies.

The Fulbright Program is a highly competitive international exchange initiative designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

For Sheppard, the Fulbright grant represents an important step in supporting the global education community in Iowa. “I just think it's great for Iowa teachers to have the opportunity to expand their perspectives, their knowledge, their connections, and for preservice teachers, the overall goal is really to be able to help shape their teaching from the start.”

The application deadline for interested social studies teachers to apply is Nov. 12. For more information, visit the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad in Namibia webpage.