Educators

In 2015, Sheron Long partnered with CIEE to create the Global Navigator Initiative that sends high school students on life-changing summer study abroad programs. Ms. Long personally experienced the power of study abroad, spending time as a teen in Mexico and later as a college student in France. Before establishing the Global Navigators fund to provide scholarships for high school students studying abroad, she conducted extensive research, interviewing numerous study abroad organizations. Her primary focus was, first and foremost, the safety of the participants and the quality of the programs students would experience. Ms. Long's research ultimately led her to partner with CIEE.

Since then, we've helped almost 22,000 students participate in the Global Navigator programs and awarded $46.1 million in scholarship funding.

CIEE is the largest and most tenured nonprofit study abroad organization in the U.S., leading the way in international exchange for more than 75 years. 

We are proud to have helped thousands of students build the skills, confidence, and connections to succeed in college and beyond. Our CIEE-run educational centers are located in more than 35 global locations.

Yes, our teacher travel opportunities, like the CIEE Global Educator Institute, the traveling teaching job of a CIEE Program Leader, and CIEE High School Summer Abroad site visits, allow you to gain international experience and bring it back to your classroom and entire school community.

CIEE High School Study Abroad includes a variety of program options that allow high school students to immerse themselves in global learning around the world. We have programs that last as little as 3 weeks to a full semester or academic year.

Our summer abroad programs align with U.S.-based learning standards to provide high school students with powerful experiences that both build on what they learned in class and help them develop concrete skills in a real-world setting.

Our semester or academic year-long programs can provide high school students and recent high school graduates with longer immersions that can let them become fluent in a language, attend a high school abroad, and even complete general education requirements for college.

In addition to individual student travel programs, we offer educators the ability to design custom school trips for their class with CIEE’s support.

CIEE awards over $7 million in high school study abroad scholarships annually, with financial-need and/or academic merit-based funding available for eligible students. You can support the application process by guiding students through the high school study abroad program options, providing teacher recommendations, and sharing scholarship and fundraising resources.

Studying abroad enhances high school students' global awareness, adaptability, language proficiency, cultural competence, and independence, which make them more competitive college applicants.

Through immersive, hands-on experiences abroad, your students can also make informed decisions about their college majors and future careers.

After participating on a CIEE program, students gain CIEE College Access, a college planning resource to leverage their study abroad experience and stand out on college applications.

CIEE prioritizes student safety abroad by having a dedicated Health, Safety, and Security team year-round to assess and monitor our program locations.  

Participants and their parents/legal guardians receive safety guidelines before departure, followed by an on-site orientation covering program rules, cultural norms, transportation, local safety, and emergency contacts.

On program, your students can expect to have 24/7 support from local CIEE staff, carefully-screened housing with dietary needs accommodated, and comprehensive student travel insurance included with tuition. 

Unlike a school-organized trip, which may involve school liability, CIEE assumes full responsibility for coordinating programs, providing clear communication and comprehensive pre-departure and on-site resources to students and their families.

We prioritize participant well-being through collaboration with students, their families, local CIEE staff, host families, and the CIEE U.S.-based team to create a strong support network for a safe and successful experience.