1. COMPLETE THE STAGE APPLICATION ONLINE

• The student meets with their STAGE College/University Representative to review and assess a student’s academic record and potential for successful student teaching overseas as well as their Christian commitment and lifestyle. The student teacher should be compatible with and supportive of the goals and expectations of the school to which s/he desires to be placed.
  
• If approved by the Representative, the student will complete the online application.
• The STAGE PLACEMENT PROFILE FORM is the last page of the STAGE application and is designed to help the Interaction International STAGE Placement Coordinator understand your preferences when seeking placements on your behalf. The form will ask you to rank your preferences regarding different variables. Remember your flexibility will increase the likelihood of finding a placement.  The requirements for your certification and graduation will take precedence over your preferences.
• If you do not hold an American passport, please note which passport(s) you hold.  This will help with securing you a placement.
• When the STAGE application form is submitted, copies will automatically send to the STAGE college/university representative and the STAGE Placement Coordinator.  The student will submit a hard, signed copy of the STAGE Affirmation Form to their campus representative.

2. TWO REFERENCE LETTERS
After submitting your application, please submit 2 letters of reference with your application to stage@interactionintl.org (one academic and one personal). Your references should include one from a professor and one from someone else who knows you well and can speak to the leadership of an overseas school about your appropriateness (character, readiness, etc.) for an overseas placement.

3. PAYMENT
Once you have completed your application, you will need to submit payment before the application can be processed.  This is a fee of $425 (if paid by check to Interaction International, PO Box 706, Mineral Springs, NC 28108) or $440 (to pay by credit card click here) Your application cannot be processed until payment has been received.  After March 15 and December 15, these rates increase by $50.

Submit applications and reference letters by emailing them to stage.applications@interactionintl.org

You will be informed of the progress regarding your placement, when there is news to share. Feel free to communicate with your STAGE Campus Coordinator or with Interaction as questions arise about the status of your placement. Don’t be alarmed if it takes a number of months to secure a confirmation of placement.  This is especially true of those applying for fall semester student teaching.

4. PLACEMENT INFORMATION
Flexibility by prospective student teachers in the placement process is essential. We welcome your interest in specific schools as do the overseas schools, and are delighted when a placement can be obtained for you at your school of primary interest.  Nevertheless, the cross-cultural experience, as one of the primary benefits of the STAGE experience, remains of value regardless of the specific school or country of placement. Two practices emerge as a result of that value:

• The international schools, not Interaction International, have the final say on whether a placement is granted or not. All such relevant information must be communicated to the Interaction STAGE Coordinator from the onset. After a school has indicated a placement is not possible, the student teacher must abide by that statement. Appeals, if any, will be made through Interaction International and STAGE. (Student teachers will not be placed in schools they have previously attended as a student.)
• Remember: Please keep in mind that a student teaching experience abroad is not the same as making a two or three year commitment to that location and that school. Student teachers who are unwilling to consider more than one school need to rethink their position and their decision to apply to the STAGE program. It’s a big world after all! If you are not familiar with more than one overseas school, simply write “open” for your remaining preferences.
• COVID Reminder – Placing student teachers in international schools is more challenging because of the pandemic.  Some countries require quarantines and vaccinations.  Flexibility is key in receiving a placement at this time.

5. PRE-EXPERIENCE ORIENTATION

The Pre-Experience Orientation (PEO) is held twice each year (spring and fall—usually in September and April) and attendance at one of these is a required aspect of the STAGE experience. Unless there is a significant conflict, please plan to attend the PEO closest to your date of departure.

6. STAGE PLACEMENT COORDINATOR

The Interaction STAGE Placement Coordinator will keep you informed of progress on your placement. Once a placement has been obtained, the Coordinator will notify you (as well as your STAGE college/university rep) as soon as possible.

7. REFUND POLICY

If you choose to withdraw from the STAGE program at any point after application has been made, your cancellation or withdrawal must be made through the appointed STAGE supervisor on your college/university campus in order to be official, during the academic year as well as during summer breaks. Refunds must be requested in writing. The reimbursement guidelines are as follows:

• If the student withdraws after a file has been opened a refund of $375 will be made.
• If the student withdraws after a file has been created and a contact has been initiated but no placement has occurred, a refund of $150 will be made.
• If the student withdraws after a placement has been finalized, but prior to attending Pre-Experience Orientation (PEO), a refund of $100 will be made.
• If the student withdraws after attending PEO, there is no refund.

a. CHECK OUT THE LIST
Review the list of schools where previous placements have been made. Please keep in mind that many of these schools are historic placements not recent ones.  If you choose a school with a historic relationship with STAGE, we will attempt to contact that school and initiate placement. You may also request placement at schools not included in the STAGE listing of schools. However, since they are not familiar with STAGE, their responses and willingness to place student teachers may vary.

b. YOUR UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS
Please check on the specific requirements that your institution has for overseas schools where placements are made for you. These may include whether the school is accredited, class size, supervision requirements, etc. If a specific school you are listing for possible placement does not fit the requirements established by your college, it will affect the possibility of your being placed there.

c. APPROVAL OF PLACEMENT
Be sure your college and parents approve of pursing a placement in that countries you are considering. Schools and parents may not approve of working in certain countries.

d. CONNECTIONS
If you have any contacts/connections at a school where you are requesting placement, please let the Interaction International STAGE Placement Coordinator know. This will be helpful in securing a placement on your behalf.

e. DISCLAIMER
Although STAGE will make the placement for the student in conjunction with their college/university, the decision about the student’s placement is ultimately the responsibility of the college/university.

e. APPLY ASAP!
Alliance Academy (Ecuador), Black Forest Academy (Germany), Faith Academy (Philippines), Morrison Academy (Taiwan), and Rift Valley Academy (Kenya) are among the frequently requested schools. If you intend to seek placement in one of the above schools, your application to STAGE should be made as early as possible. Winter/Spring placements are less likely to be available at these schools, but not impossible to obtain. Again, apply early! If you are interested in one of the above schools, list the school as your first choice and list only one of the above schools to maximize your chances.

f. POSSIBLE 2nd APPLICATION
Several of these schools also require the completion of a second application form. Some require completion of the school’s own form. Others require the student teacher to apply to a mission in order to student teach at that school. For example, schools associated with AIM and SIM require a letter of recommendation from a pastor.

g. SECULAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL INFORMATION
If you are applying for placement at a secular international school, the essay question regarding your educational perspectives and formative experiences will be submitted as part of your application rather than your Christian testimony. Please be sure to avoid terms connected with Christianity, the mission context, evangelism, and other terms that may cause the international school concern about you and your motives. Even if you do not think you will apply to a secular international school, fill in the page and use appropriate language.  You may change your mind if other placements do not work out. Both the educational perspectives and the Christian background pages will be sent to international Christian schools.