Cardinal Newman teacher Ryan Smith will trade teaching assignments with a Hungarian instructor in 2012-13 as part of his being named to the Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange.

Smith will teach in Budapest for one year, while Katalin Hubai will join the Newman campus.

Smith is one of 76 U.S. and international teachers who will travel abroad for the upcoming school year through the exchange program, according to Fulbright.

The Fulbright teaching exchange has developed deep relationships in other Sonoma County schools over the years.

In 2008, I wrote a story about John Grech, a teacher at El Molino High School who spent a semester in Northern Ireland. When he returned to his post on the Forestville campus, he and his exchange partner arranged to communicate via a webcast and invite students to quiz each other on hot topics of the day.

A topic in 2008? The hot democratic primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

To read that story, click here:  http://bit.ly/JAgrZ6