Schedule – CIEE High School Study Abroad Conference

Graduating Global Citizens Through Educationally-Aligned Study Abroad

We’re excited to host our 2026 High School Study Abroad Conference in New York City on October 3-4. Registration is now open and space is limited – take advantage of early bird pricing through August 10! Click the link below to reserve your spot today and learn more about pricing and what’s included

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

By invitation only: Private School Leadership Circle + Lunch

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

By invitation only: Public School Leadership Circle

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Angelo’s Pizza

By invitation only: Leadership Circle Dinner

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.

9:15 am - 10:00 am

Sutton North, Center & South

Jim Pellow

Matt Redman

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

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Sutton North, Center & South

Joanna Blanck

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

10:15 am - 10:45 am

Sutton North, Center & South

Jeff Selingo

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...

Jeff Selingo

11:00 am - 12:15 pm

Breakout Sessions: Inside CIEE Programs

11:00 am-12:15 pm

Beekman

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...

Ana Gutierrez

Ana Rita Ribeiro

Iwona Ivanov

Andrea Silvestri

11:00 am-12:15 pm

Regent

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...

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...

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

Carolina Zumaglini

Katie Gallegos

María Pilar Ojeda Estrella

Pedro Morote

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...

Pedro Morote

María Pilar Ojeda Estrella

Carolina Zumaglini

Katie Gallegos

1:45 pm-3:00 pm

Beekman

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...

Melanie Fitzsimmons

Lucia Aguero

Madiha Chafik

Andrea Silvestri

1:45 pm-3:00 pm

Regent

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...

Bruno Rocha

Stephen Murray

Crystal Reay

Beatrice Cho

Alexis Giachetti

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm

Sutton North, Center & South

Katie Gallegos

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...

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...

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Monarch

Offsite Reception

Monarch Rooftop – Skylight Lounge

7:45 am-8:45 am

Gramercy & Murray Hill

Breakfast Buffet

9:00 am - 9:15 am

Sutton North, Center & South

Anne Rothacker

Mike Chodroff

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...

Meghan Schumacher

Pierre Le Gall

Skylar Jeffries

Katie Gallegos

10:15 am-11:15 am

Beekman

Sara Hart

Stephen Bush

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...

Sara Hart

Stephen Bush

10:15 am-11:15 am

Regent

Jenn Higgins Pitre

Matt Redman

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...

Jenn Higgins Pitre

Matt Redman

10:15 am-11:15 am

Murray Hill

Autumn Wilson

Jeff Bradley

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...

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...

Kirsten Tasker

Kaerra McCray

Anne Rothacker

Madiha Chafik

Isabelle Jaffe

11:30 am-12:30 pm

Murray Hill

Jeff Bradley

Joanna Blanck

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...

Jeff Bradley

Joanna Blanck

11:30 am-12:30 pm

Regent

Christine M. Jacquart

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...

Erin Austin

Noah Zeichner

Christine M. Jacquart

Erin El-Tawil

Tania Huitrón

11:30 am-12:30 pm

Sutton North, Center & South

Amma Appiah

Bill Bull

Lucia Aguero

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...

Amma Appiah

Bill Bull

Lucia Aguero

12:45 pm-1:00 pm

Sutton North, Center & South

Matt Redman

Closing Remarks

Closing remarks will be facilitated by Matt Redman.

Matt Redman

1:00 pm

Gramercy & Murray Hill