From Classroom to Community: A Fulbright ETA's Journey in Kosovo

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program, part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, has proven to catalyze positive change and cross-cultural understanding in Kosovo.

With her passion for education and community engagement, 2023-2024 ETA, Emma Kenny left a lasting impact on the lives of Kosovan students. Through her USKEB small grant project, supported by the United States-Kosovo Educational Exchange Board (USKEB), she organized a one-day field trip to cultural heritage sites in Kosovo for 15 students aged 13-16 from the Prizren community.

In partnership with American Corner Prizren, she took these students to the Old Bazaar in Gjakova, the Tekke Mosque, the Cathedral of Prizren, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, and the Gjakova Clocktower.

The primary objective of the field trip was to promote intercultural understanding and appreciation among youth from different ethnic backgrounds in Kosovo. This was achieved by providing a safe and enriching learning environment outside the classroom, where students could engage directly with cultural heritage sites in the Prizren and Gjakova regions.

Participants highly appreciated and enjoyed the trip, highlighting the opportunity to learn outside the classroom.

For this experience, Emma shares:

“I found this trip to be crucial for my students, as it provided them with the opportunity to engage in conversations about the diverse cultures and religions present within their own communities. One of the most impactful moments was witnessing my students enter religious sites they had never visited, despite walking past them every day. This experience helped them grow in understanding and appreciating the similarities within their differences.”

After returning, students completed a reflection worksheet to consolidate their learning and share their experiences.

Emma, who holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Legal History from the University of Alabama, was placed at the University of Prizren, Faculty of Philology, Department of English Language and Literature, where she taught English and served as U.S. cultural ambassador to Kosovo by engaging in several community and cultural activities in Kosovo.

We thank U.S. Fulbrighters for their contribution to the educational and cultural exchange between Kosovo and the U.S. during the 2023-2024 academic year and look forward to welcoming the 2024-2025 Fulbright U.S. Students cohort in September 2024.