The mission of Balsamo Outreach for Learning and Teaching (BOLT) is to provide teacher training seminars or workshops that are relevant and practical. These seminars, workshops, or in-service teaching experiences provide various approaches to current educational theories and are based on a model of content-based instruction using English.

William Balsamo (1943-2008) inspired many educators to provide basic language education seminars to further develop language teachers abroad who do not have access to such seminars.  Hence, many volunteers started helping him achieve this goal and when he died many of us wanted his mission to continue.  Hence, BOLT has taken his name to lead our title of our organization and carry on his initiatives. 

 BOLT conducts training seminars in various developing countries and draws upon teachers with a Masters degree or higher. Hence it provides these volunteer teachers an opportunity to experience the teaching situations of other countries while sharing their own knowledge and expertise of teaching in regular English classes as well as teaching English through a  core subject such as Mathematics or Science.

 

 

 

BOLT also offers in-service educational opportunities for people with adequate English proficiency who wish to assist our Volunteer Teachers by offering their time, energy and enthusiasm in our range of school programs in various countries. A bachelor’s degree is sufficient to come and assist our Volunteer Teachers in these programs. Please check out the countries that you are interested in and take the opportunity to volunteer and be a part of this valuable experience.

BOLT also provides opportunities through our affiliates for undergraduate students currently studying in college to participate in programs abroad. We refer students to study abroad programs for one week up to six months. One of these programs is the Philippines Study Tour Program. Please refer to the video of the Philippines Study Tour Program if you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity for your students to get actual experience in an Asian country.

BOLT also provides scholarships or aid to organizations where it provides training or in-service programs. BOLT has a number of affiliates, and these affiliates abroad work closely with BOLT to provide opportunities for educators there to further develop their pedagogic knowledge and skills. Many educators abroad, especially in developing countries, do not have this opportunity because their available finances and time-off are very limited. By bringing trainees to educational sites of the educators, BOLT is able to assist in providing further faculty development where it may not be possible otherwise.

To fulfill its mission with the most positive impact possible, BOLT strives to
(1) provide publication of academic research and articles regarding language teaching and learning
(2) hold annual international meetings on language teaching and learning throughout the world
(3) provide research grants for the development of language teaching and learning
(4) send teachers abroad for training and
(5) assist schools and communities that need hygienic education, nutritional education, and educational development assistance.

With these aims in mind, we kindly request you to register on our site with your teaching area of specialization, the country you prefer to present in, and the dates you are available to volunteer to present or become involved in some of our in-service activities.

 

Respectfully yours,

Peter John Wanner, Ph.D.,
     Balsamo Outreach for Learning and Teaching