Stachowski is a clinical professor and Director of Global Gateway for Teachers. When she became director of the program, six English-speaking countries were offered and placements were secured through a third-party provider. Today, the program has more than tripled the number of countries to include non-Western and non-English speaking opportunities for students, and is now the placement provider, serving education majors at 30 U.S. institutions: “What has been important to me is to broaden international education opportunities for our future teachers, while ensuring that deep, meaningful learning prepares them for the cultural, linguistic and racial diversity they will encounter in their future classrooms.”
“I cannot begin to tell you how much my work means to me, and through my work, the strong connections I have forged with so many people, including students who have participated in the program, graduate students who served as associate instructors, and our host country collaborators the world over,” Stachowski continued. “It amazes me to hear from former students from as many as 20 or more years ago, who will write to tell me that their participation in our program remains one of the most important experiences they had at IU, and how their own lives were transformed as a result. I care so much about what I do and have invested a lifetime of dedication and effort into the growth, recognition and accomplishment of the Global Gateway for Teachers. It is truly a privilege to be in a role serving future teachers in such powerful ways, and to know the impact of their experiences is far reaching and lasting.”
Stachowski’s goals moving forward include developing new international opportunities for student teachers and experienced teachers, including the overseas internship for CASS majors, and projects like the School of Education’s collaboration with Universität Hamburg in Germany and Stranmillis University College in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
