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.

App Deadline: Sept 17th, 2025 at 11:59 PM (If you do not receive an email from MISTI on September 18th confirming your application was received, it was not complete.)

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
    • Bhutan: Competition mathematics, if an IMO medalist
    • Cape Verde: Any subject
    • Ghana: Competition mathematics
    • Italy: Debate only
    • Ivory Coast: Competition mathematics
    • Kazakhstan: Any subject
    • Rwanda: Competition mathematics
  • Language Requirements:
    • Andorra: Spanish required – conversational/intermediate level is a minimum. One placement for a French speaker.
    • Ivory Coast: French is required
    • Korea: No language requirement, but seeking Korean and Mandarin speakers for select placements
    • Mexico: No language requirement, but seeking Spanish speakers for select placements
    • Spain: Spanish required – conversational/intermediate level is a minimum
    • 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
      • Chile – Spanish
      • Germany - German
      • Italy - Italian
      • 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 seeking to work with university-level students are encouraged to apply
    • Ivory Coast: Graduate students encouraged, even if they are not domain experts but speak French very well
    • Mexico: Graduate students are encouraged to apply for the Big Data and Entrepreneurship workshops
    • Peru: Seeking graduate students for AI/ML
    • South Africa & Botswana: Graduate students seeking leadership role encouraged to apply
    • 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*: Renewable Energy Technologies, all majors welcome
    • Cape Verde*: “Problem Solving with App Inventor”, all majors welcome
    • Ghana*: Competition Math
    • Ivory Coast*: Competition Math
    • South Africa & Botswana*: “Quantum Mechanics: Theory and Application” - all related fields inclusive of Course 15 and 24
    • Rwanda*: Competition Math

Asia

Europe

  • MISTI Eurasia Global Teaching Labs:
    • Armenia: All STEM-related subjects, Design, Business/Entrepreneurship, Climate and Sustainability, AI/ML, Art and Technology (filmmaking, photography, new media)
    • Cyprus* (juniors and above only): Robotics, EECS, Mechanical Engineering, Math, Physics
    • Kazakhstan*: All STEM-related subjects, Leadership/Communication, Climate and Sustainability, Robotics Competitions
  • MISTI Germany Global Teaching Labs: All STEM-related subjects, with a focus on Chemistry (not ChemE) and Biology
  • MISTI Italy Global Teaching Labs: All STEM-related subjects, Debate
  • MISTI Spain Global Teaching Labs:
    • Andorra*: All STEM-related subjects
    • Spain: All STEM-related subjects, Makerspace, robotics
  • MISTI UK Global Teaching Labs:
    • England*: All STEM-related subjects
    • Scotland*: All STEM-related subjects
    • Wales: All STEM-related subjects

Middle East and North Africa

  • MISTI MENA Global Teaching Labs:
    • Bahrain*: All STEM-related subjects, Climate and Sustainability
    • CANCELLED - Jordan*: All STEM-related subjects
    • CANCELLED - Saudi Arabia*: All STEM-related subjects, Climate and Sustainability

Latin America

  • MISTI Chile Global Teaching Labs:
    • Chile: Scratch, Python (Intro and Advanced), Makerspace
    • Peru: Python, AI/Machine Learning, and “Communicating with Data”
    • Uruguay: AI/Machine Learning, and “Communicating with Data”
  • MISTI Mexico Global Teaching Labs​​​​​​: All STEM-related subjects, “Big Data and Decision Making”, “Entrepreneurship + Startups”, 6 spots for female-identified students to teach STEM and coding to middle and high school girls​, 2 spots for female-identified students to train girls for International Math Olympiads

Program timeline

  • Application opens: August 27th
  • Info Session: Sept 9th, 2025 at 5:00 PM in 34-101
  • Application deadline: September 17th at 11:59 PM
  • 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 do not need to submit the passport section if you do not have a passport yet (but you should apply for one as soon as possible).
  • If your application has been completed, you will receive an email message from MISTI confirming receipt on September 19th.
  • 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