Plainfield 8th Grade Teacher 1 Of 48 To Win NEA Fellowship

PLAINFIELD, IL — A Plainfield 8th grade teacher is one of 48 to be named a 2024 Global Learning Fellow by the National Education Association Foundation, officials said.

Jennifer Gruca, who teaches language arts and honors at John F. Kennedy Middle School, will spend the next year in a peer learning networking, building global competency skills by participating in webinars, completing coursework, attending a two-day professional workshop in Washington D.C. and attending a 10-day international field study in Costa Rica.

"I hope that after this extensive fellowship and educational process, I will be more equipped to not only connect my students with global issues and people but include educations about the many global backgrounds of my students who are already in my seats," Gruca said, per a Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 news release.

Now a fellow, she is one of the public school educators from 36 states who represent the teaching profession in urban, rural and suburban communities.

During the Costa Rica trip in 2024, Gruca will investigate the historical and cultural context of the country and learn about its education system through meetings with policymakers, business and nonprofit leaders, and visit schools to meet teachers, students and administrators.

The fellowship will conclude with a final project that enables their learning to be shared with educators beyond the program, officials said.

"This fellowship will provide life-changing professional development experiences that I can bring back to the students in my classroom," Gruca said.

In 2019, Gruca took a group of students to Costa Rica to learn about the country's ecosystem and study plants and animal life. JFK Middle School Principal Amandeep Hundal, according to district officials, said Gruca has always been passionate about creating a space where students can learn about their cultural and global backgrounds.

"She provides students opportunities to share who they are and their beliefs," Hundal said. "That is important for middle school students, so they feel welcomed in our JFK environment."