'Didn't feel real': Hastings teacher receives Fulbright award

Maiken Calkoen has received the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Programme for New Zealand Teachers. Photo / Paul Taylor

Karamu High School Head of Technology Maiken Calkoen has been awarded one of the most respected teaching honours available in the country.

Calkoen is one of two to win the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Programme for New Zealand teachers - an award for highly accomplished teachers in primary or secondary schools to participate in a fully funded, intensive professional development programme in the United States.

She said she felt "overwhelmed" to find out she was one of the recipients and as she couldn't share the news for three months it "didn't feel real for some time".

Teachers spend four months on a professional development programme based at one of three host universities in the US.

It includes academic coursework, leadership training, instructional technology seminars and opportunities to observe, co-teach, and share their expertise in US elementary and secondary schools.

Teachers are also required to complete individual projects relevant to their teaching so Calkoen will research approaches to designing learning programmes which value, develop and support creative thinking and creative practice.

Faculty advisors at the host university guide the teachers in their projects.

When returning home grantees are expected to share the knowledge and experience gained on the programme with teachers and students in their home schools, within their communities and in New Zealand.

Originally Calkoen had intended going overseas from January to May 2021 but due to Covid-19 she has been given the option of waiting until at least 2022.

The other recipient was Joy Kitt from Palmerston North.

Only two awards are granted a year and this year both recipients are Karamu High School alumni.

Calkoen was a student at Karamu from 1990-1994 and Kitt was a student from 1978-1982

Karamu High School principal Dionne Thomas said it is an "exceptionally 'Proudly Karamu' moment" to have not only a teacher but two alumni selected.