Larry Allen '09 is among the first eight foreign teachers at the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools in Kazakhstan. The schools are part of an educational reform system designed by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and Allen and his colleagues will aid in the reform and improvement of secondary schools. Allen is teaching English, a critical thinking course, and elective courses at a school in the capital city Astana. He will also run extracurricular activities. All the students attend on state scholarships, and the classrooms are equipped with the latest technology. Allen says that he is still adjusting to the culture but that "Everyone is super friendly and excited to meet Americans, so it's certainly a positive experience in that regard."
At Hamilton Allen majored in classical studies and participated in a capella and sketch comedy groups. He recently earned his masters of education from the University of Pennsylvania. He spent last year teaching English Language Learners at a Philadelphia high school, an experience he credits with making the decision to move to Central Asia easy.
The Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools are looking forward to recruiting more foreign teachers in the future and interested in learning more about the American educational system. Students considering teaching abroad can contact Allen at laurenceaallen@gmail.com.
