Graduating High School Global Citizens Through Educationally-Aligned Study Abroad
CIEE believes study abroad should be a normal part of every high school student’s education, and it starts with educators.
The CIEE High School Study Abroad Conference brings high school teachers and administrators together for a professional development weekend focused on making global education standard practice, not a rare opportunity.
Educators return home equipped to make high school study abroad the norm with:
- Concrete tools to build a culture of global citizenship at their schools
- Scholarship resources to open study abroad up to more students, regardless of financial background
- Proven techniques to help your students stand out in college applications
Day 1
Oct 2, 2026
Day 2
Oct 3, 2026
Day 3
Oct 4, 2026
9:00 am-6:00 pm
Most guests will arrive and check into the hotel on Friday, October 2.
Registration will be open from 9am-6pm as attendees arrive independently throughout the day.
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Angelo’s Pizza
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Gramercy & Murray Hill
Networking Breakfast
Kick off your day by connecting with fellow educators, industry leaders, and CIEE staff over breakfast.
Opening Remarks
Jim Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE, will open with an overview of the conference’s theme, what to expect from the weekend, and key trends in study abroad.
Jim Pellow
Matt Redman
Partner Awards
Join CIEE in celebrating the achievements of our partner schools. We recognize outstanding dedication, innovation, and leadership in expanding access to study abroad experiences.
Joanna Blanck
Opening Keynote
In Dream School, bestselling author Jeff Selingo argues that preparing for college should be about more than gaining admission to a prestigious institution. It should help young people develop the... Read More
Jeff Selingo
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Breakout Sessions: Inside CIEE Programs
High School Summer Abroad STEM Programs
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad STEM Topic programs in Nice, Lisbon, and Monteverde. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from CIEE Center staff and instructors... Read More
Ana Gutierrez
Ana Rita Ribeiro
Iwona Ivanov
Andrea Silvestri
High School Summer Abroad Arts & Culture Programs
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad Arts & Culture Topic programs. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from our CIEE Center staff and instructors about how... Read More
Gianluca Lorenzini
Emma Dee
Daniele Bini
Alexis Giachetti
11:00 am-12:15 pm
Sutton North, Center & South
High School Summer Abroad French Language & Culture Programs
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad Language & Culture programs in Paris, Rennes, and Toulouse. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from CIEE Center staff and... Read More
Imane Rakraki
Claire Alexandre
Isabelle Jaffe
James Benn
Katie Gallegos
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Gramercy & Murray Hill
Networking Lunch
Recharge and continue the conversation over lunch. Connect with others to discuss morning sessions and expand your professional network.
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm
Breakout Sessions: Inside CIEE Programs
1:45 pm-3:00 pm
Sutton North, Center & South
High School Summer Abroad Spanish Language & Culture Programs
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad Language & Culture programs in Madrid and Merida. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from CIEE Center staff and language... Read More
Pedro Morote
María Pilar Ojeda Estrella
Carolina Zumaglini
Katie Gallegos
High School Summer Abroad Leadership & Service
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad Leadership & Service Topic Programs in Rabat and Santiago. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from CIEE Center staff and... Read More
Melanie Fitzsimmons
Lucia Aguero
Madiha Chafik
Andrea Silvestri
High School Summer Abroad Social Change and Business
Step inside CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad Social Change and Business Programs in Seoul, Sydney, Berlin, and Amsterdam. In this instructor-led breakout session, you will hear directly from CIEE Center... Read More
Bruno Rocha
Stephen Murray
Crystal Reay
Beatrice Cho
Alexis Giachetti
Saturday Wrap Up Activity
Join us to reflect on the day’s sessions, get the full breakdown on what’s ahead, and find out how to win a prize at the CIEE mixer! We’ll walk through... Read More
Katie Gallegos
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Gramercy, Murray Hill, & Nassau
Meet CIEE Mixer
Meet the CIEE team behind the programs! This interactive session gives you a chance to ask questions to our international staff, discover more about our programs, and learn how we... Read More
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Monarch
Offsite Reception
Monarch Rooftop – Skylight Lounge
7:45 am-8:45 am
Gramercy & Murray Hill
Energizer Activity
Mike Chodroff
Anne Rothacker
9:15 am - 10:00 am
Sutton North, Center & South
Closing Plenary Alumni Panel
Hear directly from alumni as they share their stories of how their CIEE programs shaped them as global citizens and fueled their personal growth, academic paths, and future careers.
Jake Reynoso
Mellonie Williams
Katherine Lake
Lucas Chacko
Sabrina Small
10:15 am - 11:15 am
Breakout Sessions: Shaping Global Culture at Your School
10:15 am-11:15 am
Sutton North, Center & South
Mobilizing Alumni
Sharing alumni stories is the most effective way to pique your students’ curiosity about study abroad, and more importantly to get them to take the leap to travel. In this... Read More
Meghan Schumacher
Pierre Le Gall
Skylar Jeffries
Katie Gallegos
College First Year Abroad & Expanding Post-Graduation Opportunities
Explore how CIEE’s College First Year Abroad programs enable students to start their college experience overseas while earning transferrable credit and building global competence from day one. This session will... Read More
Sara Hart
Stephen Bush
Funding Study Abroad Through Fundraising and Partnerships
Cost is one of the biggest barriers families face when considering study abroad, but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, Matt Redman (VP, High School Programs) and Jenn... Read More
Jenn Higgins Pitre
Matt Redman
Study Abroad as Fuel for the IB Journey
The IB Diploma Program challenges students to think globally, act responsibly, and engage meaningfully with diverse perspectives. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how study abroad experiences can reinforce key... Read More
Autumn Wilson
Jeff Bradley
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Breakout Sessions: Developing as Global Educators
11:30 am-12:30 pm
Beekman
Designed by You, Delivered by CIEE: Custom School Trips
Want to design an international trip that aligns with your curriculum and your students’ needs? Anne Rothacker and Kaerra McCray from CIEE’s Custom Programs team, joined by a high school... Read More
Kirsten Tasker
Kaerra McCray
Anne Rothacker
Madiha Chafik
Isabelle Jaffe
More Than a Summer: How Semester and Year Abroad Strengthens Student Pathways
Few experiences shape a student or strengthen a college application like a semester or full academic year abroad. Join Joanna Blanck and Jeff Bradley to learn how CIEE’s two pathways... Read More
Jeff Bradley
Joanna Blanck
From the Field: Insights from CIEE Summer Site Visits
Each year, CIEE organizes summer abroad program site visits to give educators a chance to see program in action, network with like-minded peers, and borrow best-practices and instructional strategies from... Read More
Erin Austin
Noah Zeichner
Christine M. Jacquart
Erin El-Tawil
Tania Huitrón
Building a Culture of Care: Coordinating Care, Response and Outcomes
What if incident management could do more than document problems? This session explores how a robust incident management system can become the foundation of a culture of care, supporting individuals... Read More
Amma Appiah
Bill Bull
Lucia Aguero
1:00 pm
Gramercy & Murray Hill
2025 Chicago, IL
Graduating Global Citizens
2024 Washington D.C.
Global Leadership—Empowering Future Success Through Study Abroad
2023 New Orleans, LA
Place-based learning and authentic resources in the classroom
2022 Palo Alto & New York
Intercultural leadership and social emotional learning
2021 Denver, CO
Connecting World Languages to Other Subject Areas and Weaving Social Justice into the World Language Curriculum