Brian Ristow, TeWinkle Middle School Special Education Teacher and former Teacher of the Year, was awarded the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching from the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Ristow is one of approximately 45 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program in 2016-2017. He will live and work in New Zealand to learn about the culture, society and educational system of New Zealand and share insights about the United States with colleagues at his host school. Ristow previously received Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund for Teachers Award.

“Brian is an outstanding educator and brings amazing qualities to the classroom,” said TeWinkle Midddle School Principal Kira Hurst. “I am very happy for this opportunity for Brian to learn about New Zealand’s education system and hopefully bring back exciting and new ideas to TeWinkle.”

The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those in other countries. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential.

Fulbright recipients are among more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program is administered by the Institute of International Education. To learn more about the program click here.