A teacher from Prince George’s County, Maryland, who won a prestigious scholarship, is helping to open the world to his students and expose them to other cultures.
Chidi Duru is the chair of the science department at Crossland High School, and last week was announced as the recipient of a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program award.
“It’s actually meant to make sure that America is able to reach out to other countries and collaborate in terms of academics, education, and other things,” Duru said. “No country can do it all alone. We need other countries to come along with us in whatever we’re doing so we need to understand them and our students understand other countries and what education is.”
To win the award, Duru had to travel to other countries, such as Canada and Peru. He’s now in the same network as thousands of other teachers, scholars and leaders, which will help him expand his professional network and access more collaborations.
Duru admitted that the award is a “big deal,” especially since it allows him to reach other students and their cultures.
“I can only do so much in my classroom, but now I’m able to talk to students from other states, students from other countries, share ideas with other teachers who are doing excellent work all around the country and all around the world. So, in that way, I’m growing,” Duru said.
The relationships he’s forming through the program have allowed him to help students from high-density neighborhoods around Temple Hills, Maryland, interact more with students from rural areas of the country.
Duru hopes the cultural connections being made will empower his students and propel them to be successful.
“[The fact] that you’re born in a certain zip code has nothing to do with their intelligence,” he said. “The only thing here is that sometimes they don’t have the opportunities, sometimes they lack the exposure, sometimes they don’t have the resources they need to be as good as they ought to be.”
“So when they might be in my presence, I make sure I give them — I pour into them — as much as I can and show them as much of the world as possible.”
The Fulbright program is overseen by the State Department. Duru said that he is aware that receiving the award is already leading to new opportunities he is able to provide to his students.
“I will be aware of doors that I didn’t even know existed,” Duru said. “Dealing with the State Department, dealing with the Fulbright organization, dealing with teachers from all over the country, definitely there are doors that come open to you and your students that you are not aware of. That means each day … you become a better teacher, a better human being, and a better leader than you were before you started.”
