Christopher Murray, a National Board Certified Social Studies teacher at Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) High School, has been selected as one of only 150 educators nationwide for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program.
The program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, is designed to equip American educators with the tools to foster global awareness within their schools and prepare students for success in an interconnected 21st-century world.
Bringing the World to the Classroom
Murray’s journey began in the fall of 2025 with a rigorous 10-week professional development course, “Teaching and Leading for Global Education.” Throughout the school year, Murray has been busy integrating these global competencies into his curriculum at B-CC.
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“I’ve been working to align my courses with the latest research and tools to help equip students with the skills they need for living and working in the 21st century,” Murray said.
A recent highlight of this initiative involved a virtual exchange between his Modern World History students and their peers in Atlanta, Georgia. During the session, students from both communities shared common values and discussed the aspects of their local communities that make them most proud—bridging geographic gaps and building empathy through shared experience.
Destination: Perú
The capstone of the program is a two-week field experience in Peru this June. Murray will join 15 other Fulbright participants to collaborate with Peruvian educators.
The trip will begin in the capital city of Lima for initial workshops and cultural exchange before Murray travels to a more remote Peruvian community. There he will spend a week embedded in a local classroom, co-teaching and developing global education lessons alongside a host teacher.
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Murray, who will represent both the United States and the B-CC Barons during his travels from June 13–28, is eager to bring his findings back to Bethesda.
“I am looking forward to bringing back photos for my World History classes and building opportunities for long-term partnerships,” Murray said. “The stories of lived experience I can share with my students will be invaluable to their understanding of the world.”
To learn more about the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program, visit the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges website.
Read the original article at mcps