Meet Sharon Bjorck
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2024
U.S. Department of State
English Language Programs
Contact: Outreach@elprograms.org 202-687-0997; ECA-Press@state.gov 202-632-6452
Sharon Bjorck Selected by U.S. Department of State for Prestigious Virtual English Language Educator Program
The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Sharon Bjorck of California for a virtual project, engaging with English language learners and teachers online in Ukraine at NGO Kunsht. Bjorck is among the more than 100 Virtual English Language Educator Program participants for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Bjorck holds a M.A in TESOL from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA. She taught academic ESL for 25 years at Mt. San Antoinio College in Walnut, CA. After retiring from that school in 2020, she created and presented intercultural communication virtual workshops to Ph.D. researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and staff working for the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California. She has also been teaching English online for several years, providing one-on-one English lessons to individuals living in conflict-afflicted regions around the globe.
In this new position, Ms. Bjorck will be teaching online English classes to Ukrainian Ph.D. researchers and scholars over the next five months. The Virtual English Language Educator Program is the premier online opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, Virtual Educators work with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities, academic institutions, and cultural centers.
English Language Programs has placed thousands of TESOL scholars and educators with international partner institutions, abroad and virtually, to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. These projects are challenging and the teachers selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. Virtual Educators are among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year.
For further information:
Virtual English Language Educator Program, outreach@elprograms.org, 202-687-0997
Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, ECA-Press@state.gov, 202-632-6452
English Language Programs is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.