Forty-eight middle and high school social science teachers from ten World Affairs Councils will be visiting Turkey this summer. The local teachers will participate in a Teacher Study Tour, organized and sponsored by the Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF). The groups will visit Istanbul, Gelibolu (Gallipoli) and Troy, Canakkale, Bursa, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Konya and Catalhoyuk, Cappadocia and Ankara. Throughout the tour, the teachers will have the chance to visit and learn about world-famous cultural, archeological, architectural and natural sites of Turkey and meet with experts, educators and representatives of Turkish civil society. 479 teachers from across the United States have visited Turkey since 2007 under this program. 

The study tours are the second tier of a program called Spotlight on Turkey, a nationwide educational program organized by TCF, the World Affairs Councils of America, and its local chapters and funded by a major TCF grant. The year-round program includes a Teacher Workshop on Turkey, the TCF Teacher Study Tours and various cultural programs for students and the general public. Through this program, TCF and WACA aim to increase knowledge about Turkey in local communities, and enhance international learning opportunities for American educators and, in turn, students.