Student teaching abroad

Global Teaching Labs

Learn by teaching all over the world

MIT’s Global Teaching Labs (GTL) program recruits top MIT students who want to actively participate in the Institute’s experiential approach to learning. GTL challenges you to learn by teaching—synthesizing and presenting your knowledge, working in teams, and communicating with peers from different cultural backgrounds.

Mark your calendars! GTL 2027 info session will be on Tuesday, September 15th from 5-6pm in 26-100.

For three to four weeks each January, GTL participants travel abroad to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses—and sometimes other topics including entrepreneurship and debate—to high school and university students. This high-impact program attracts several hundred highly accomplished candidates from across the Institute. Selected participants are trained about teaching materials, platforms and communication techniques, and introduced to the education system and culture of their host country.

Program requirements

  • Good academic standing (4.0 GPA minimum)
  • Submit a MISTI application and complete an interview
  • Participating students will be required to attend 5–6 training sessions in the fall.

 

  • First year applicants are ONLY eligible for the following programs/subjects:
    • Angola: Any subject
    • Armenia: Any subject, with teaching experience
    • Bhutan: Competition mathematics, if an IMO medalist
    • Cape Verde: Any subject
    • Ghana: Competition mathematics
    • India: Any subject
    • Italy: Debate only
    • Ivory Coast: Competition mathematics
    • Kazakhstan: Any subject, with teaching experience
    • Mexico: Competition mathematics
    • Rwanda: Competition mathematics
  • Language Requirements:
    • Andorra: Spanish preferred. One placement for a French speaker.
    • Korea: No language requirement, but seeking Korean and Mandarin speakers for select placements
    • Mexico: No language requirement, but seeking Spanish speakers for select placements
    • Portugal: No language requirement, but seeking Portuguese speakers for select placements
    • Spain: Spanish preferred.
    • These countries have no language requirement, but there is preference to students who speak the local language:
      • Angola – Portuguese
      • Armenia - Armenian or Russian
      • Cape Verde – Portuguese
      • Cyprus - Greek
      • Germany - German
      • Italy - Italian
      • Ivory Coast - French
      • Kazakhstan - Kazakh or Russian
      • Peru - Spanish
      • Uruguay - Spanish
  • Seeking Graduate Students (All programs accept graduate students, but select programs are actively seeking graduate students.):
    • Armenia: Graduate students are encouraged to apply for any subject
    • Georgia: Graduate students with experience in advanced robotics (specifically, ROS 2 for Real-World Robotic Systems, Visual & LiDAR-Based Robot Navigation, or LLMs & Human-Robot Interaction) are encouraged to apply
    • India: Seeking graduate students for AI, Embedded Systems - IoT, Cyber Security, and Smart Materials
    • Mexico: Graduate students are encouraged to apply for the Big Data and Entrepreneurship workshops
    • Peru: Seeking graduate students for AI/ML
    • Spain: Seeking graduate students with Makerspace experience
    • Uruguay: Seeking graduate students for AI/ML

 

Selection criteria

  • Knowledge of subject matter
  • Adaptability to different cultural norms and work and living arrangements
  • Ability to communicate and inspire about STEM concepts both in front of classroom and one-on-one
  • Ability to lead and manage a class as well as guide and mentor individuals
  • Passion and talent for hands-on teaching and learning
  • Interest in the host country
  • Fit with team/program
  • Language ability (necessary at some host schools)
  • Readiness to commit full time to host school and project during IAP

MISTI programs are designed to be cost-neutral, meaning your experience is funded by generous MISTI donors, your host school, or a combination of both. All essential expenses are covered, including airfare and housing, and you’ll receive a small stipend for meals and transportation.

View the 2026 GTL info session presentation here.

You can access more information about each Global Teaching Lab by clicking on the "Global Teaching Labs" tab available on each of the country program pages (links below). This includes information about the teaching format, program dates, school locations, and housing. 

*Please note programs denoted with an asterisk (*) have limited spots (less than 10 placements).

Africa

  • MISTI Africa Global Teaching Labs:
    • Angola*: Computer Science/Economics/Data Science/Quantitative Research Methods/Data Analysis/Social Sciences, all majors welcome
    • Cape Verde*: Computer Science, AI, all fields related to Cybersecurity, all majors welcome
    • Ghana*: Competition Math
    • Ivory Coast*: Competition Math
    • South Africa & Botswana*: All fields related to quantum mechanics
    • Rwanda*: Competition Math, Competition Physics, and/or Competition Informatics

Asia

Europe

Latin America

Program timeline

  • Application opens: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
  • Info Session: Tuesday, September 15th from 5-6pm in 26-100
  • Application deadline:
    • Priority deadline: Monday, September 21, 2026
    • Final deadline: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
  • Sep-Oct: Applications reviewed and select students contacted for interview.
  • Nov–Dec: Students selected to participate will attend pre-departure trainings.
  • Jan: Most GTL programs held during the last three weeks.
  • Feb: Students attend a mandatory reentry session upon return.

In the GTL application, you can select a first and second choice country. You will also be able to indicate your interest in any of the other countries after selecting your top two.

Every MISTI country runs their GTL program differently, so it's important to consider the following. All of this information will be covered in the GTL Info Session - we highly recommend you attend.

  • Language and program requirements
  • Subjects taught
  • Teaching formats (Will you work with other MIT students or solo?)
  • Work schedule (Will you be assisting several classes or just one? Are these classes or workshops?)
  • Housing options (homestay, hotel, apartment with other students)
  • Cultural expectations 

It's important to review MISTI program websites for detailed information on GTL in your countries of interest. Click on the Global Teaching Labs Tab under Program Opportunities.

Once you are ready to start the application:

  • Find the GTL application here.
  • Complete the MIT GTL Application on the MISTI Portal. You will not need to submit your passport information, but you should apply for one as soon as possible if you do not have a valid passport yet.
  • MISTI will contact you if you’re selected for an interview.

 

Apply Here

Before your GTL, you’ll attend MISTI Prep and Training sessions designed to help you make the most of your experience abroad. Program-wide sessions will cover teaching and communications strategies. Country-specific sessions will include health and safety, logistics and the culture of the host country.

Contact misti [at] mit.edu (misti[at]mit[dot]edu) with any questions.

Hear from GTL Students

GTL Classroom