DURHAM – Superintendent Dr. Robert Shaps and Principal Bill Sullivan are pleased to share that Oyster River Middle School social studies teacher Susan Mathison has received a Fulbright Exchange Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Mathison was selected to participate in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program. 

Mathison will complete a 10-week intensive course on global education from September to December, followed by an in-person symposium in Washington D.C. 

After the successful completion of the course and symposium, Mathison will travel internationally and complete a 2-3 week field study. She will collaborate with other U.S. teachers and partner teachers from other countries while documenting her experience online. 

Once Mathison returns from the field study, she will use her experience to develop a global education guide that will become an important resource for her students and the greater Oyster River Cooperative School District and Seacoast communities. 

As a Fulbright Exchange Award recipient, Mathison joins a network of more than 1,000 esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. The Program selects participants based on their academic merit and leadership potential and provides them with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world.

Over 400,000 individuals from more than 160 countries have participated in the program since 1946.

"I am so honored by the support and encouragement that Bill Sullivan and Alida Carter have shown me through this process. I am excited to be an asset for others who also want to work on lessons that revolve around real-world problems locally and abroad," said Mathison. "I love working at ORCSD in part because the district has a strong commitment to helping teachers grow in their profession and am eager to be a representative of our district and country in this process."

"Ms. Mathison is more than deserving of this opportunity," said Principal Sullivan. "I know that her work ethic and personal motivation will allow her to take the most from this experience. Oyster River Middle School is honored to have Ms. Mathison educating our students."

"We would like to congratulate Ms. Mathison on this prestigious award and opportunity," said Superintendent Dr. Shaps. "We are eager for her to continue to evolve our educational programming through this experience and for our students to benefit from her dedication to promoting mutual understanding and international collaboration.”

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.

The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.

For more information or for press inquiries about the program contact the ECA at 202-632-6452 and ECA-Press@state.gov