Ethiopia Travel Scholarship

Spring Branch ISD’s Joyce Roberta “J.R.” Miller-Alper was recently named one of five local teachers to be awarded a full scholarship for the upcoming World Affairs Council of Houston educators’ trip to Ethiopia in early June.

Miller-Alper, who currently teaches at Academy of Choice, is well known for both her classroom teaching and many years of leadership work with the Spring Branch Education Association.

She is both a former SBISD and Texas Teacher of the Year, and represented Texas in the national Teacher of the Year competition during her year as one of two state Teachers of the Year.

The full-cost scholarship, valued at $4,500, will fund her travel and lodging during the Council’s Educator’s Tour of Ethiopia, slated June 9-19, with tour stops in Addis Ababa, Axum, Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar.

The educational trip, titled “The Road to Democracy,” is designed to help teachers learn about Ethiopia’s history, language, culture and geography as they travel from Addis Ababa across the nation to the famous Blue Nile Falls.

The World Affairs Council-related group will visit schools across Ethiopia and the educators will meet with fellow educators and students. They will engage in talks with area government and U.S. AID officials, journalists and non-governmental leaders.

The World Affairs Council of Houston has sponsored education-related trips in the past to Cuba, Israel, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, among other locations.

To learn more about the World Affairs Council of Houston, please visit:
www.wachouston.org/.