Teach and Learn with Georgia (TLG) was created in 2010 as part of a series of extensive reforms to the Georgian educational system. Inspired by the President of Georgia's call for a year of education, the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (MES) designed TLG to bring native English speakers to volunteer in Georgian schools and live in Georgian communities, serving as language teachers, communication partners, and cultural ambassadors. The primary goal of TLG is to improve the English language skills of Georgian students, teachers and families.
As a post-Soviet country, Georgia is at a turning point in its history. For centuries, while other countries and cultures were globalizing, Georgia’s borders were closed to the outside world. Now, as a sovereign state, Georgia has the opportunity to integrate with the rest of the world—linguistically and culturally. This is what makes TLG a particularly unique program. Bringing English speakers into classrooms increases English language proficiency throughout the country, which is essential to Georgia’s ability to assimilate into the modern world. Further, bringing native English speakers from diverse cultures into not only the classroom, but the communities, as well, encourages interaction and the sharing of values and customs—something Georgia has missed out on for far too long.
Following intensive strategic planning, the first group of volunteer English teachers arrived to Georgia in July 2010. By 2017, over 51 groups of volunteers from different countries will have been placed throughout the regions of Georgia and the program is transcending its original goals.