Berlin
Berlin, Germany

Global Entrepreneurship

Summer '25 Applications Open

Business

Dates

-

3 weeks

Costs

$6,450

Application Deadline

Enroll Now

Request Information

Dates

-

3 weeks

Costs

$6,450

Application Deadline

Enroll Now

Request Information

Program Overview
Fuel your entrepreneurial spirit in Berlin, a city bubbling with creative businesses and innovative startups. 

With a fast-growing startup scene, Berlin’s economy boasts thriving businesses from high-tech firms to diverse companies in the service sector. Find yourself at the center of it all. Engage directly with local businesses and discover what leads to entrepreneurial success in a competitive environment. Team up with other Global Navigators to develop and pitch a concept for a new business. Learn how to assess opportunities, requirements, and risks as you gain practical business skills for budgeting, pricing, marketing, and selling.

Progressive and historic, Berlin offers an ideal backdrop, full of fascinating experiences. Visit the East Side Gallery—the world’s largest permanent open-air art gallery. Hop on a boat along the Spree River. Meet local teens for a walking tour of the city center. See the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall Memorial, and the Reichstag building, home to the German parliament and a beautiful glass dome. Travel outside Berlin to 1000-year-old Potsdam, or to medieval Görlitz, considered Germany’s most beautiful town and a popular filming location.

The Take-Aways

Real-World Experience

Sharpen your business savvy and experience the entrepreneurship process. Come home ready to take the next steps on your entrepreneurial journey.

Credentials for Your Future

Topics for your college essays, experience to inform your future career, and a Business Proposal showing off your entrepreneurial ideas.

Life Skills and New Friendships

Return with greater self-confidence, independence, and improved communication and leadership skills. Enjoy a broader worldview and friends of different backgrounds from across the U.S.

45

Hours of Expert Instruction

3

Weeks Pursuing Your Passion

1

Life-Changing Experience

The Destination
  • Group shot in front of wall in Berlin
  • Berlin Cathedral with boat going under bridge.
  • Boy jumping Berlin

The Destination

Welcome to Berlin, with eyes on the future and reflections on the past. 

Located in northeastern Germany and nestled between two rivers, Spree and Havel, is Berlin. After 80 years of dramatic change, it’s one of Europe’s most dynamic capitals, home to an exciting mix of traditional and tech-forward industries. Today many different cultures and subcultures live side by side peacefully. Constantly focused on a bright present and future—with business right at the heart of it—the city itself can be described as a startup. 

About one-third of Berlin is parkland or gardens, which contrasts with its urban feel and reputation. The Brandenburg Gate serves as Berlin’s most well-known landmark, along with the more somber culture of remembrance reflected in sites, such as the Holocaust Memorial or remnants of the Berlin Wall, which separated the city in East and West prior to its destruction following the 1989 protests. All around, there are open-air street parties, festivals, galleries, theaters, and movies to enjoy. While exploring, taste traditional German dishes, such as Bouletten (meatballs) and Kohlrouladen (stuffed cabbage), as well as cuisines influenced by people from the many different cultures who have made Berlin their home.

Cultural Awareness

CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Berlin. 

Daily Life

Daily Life

Monday–Friday  

Each day offers a balance between interactive instruction and cultural activities with time on your own, too. Morning classes and afternoon activities may swap places.    

  •  Breakfast at the dorm or out in the community 
  • Experiential learning with expert instructors and business entrepreneurs 
  • Lunch with your fellow Global Navigators  
  • Out and about for a Cultural Activity or visits to local businesses 
  • Dinner at the dorm or out in the community 

 Weekends

  • Overnight or day excursions to top sites   
  • Quality time with friends  

Check out the blog posts to discover more about daily life and excursions on program. 

Housing

Dorms, shared rooms with other Global Navigators

24/7 Support

1 Program Leader for every 12 students and support from local staff

Weekly Learning Goals

Settle into Berlin. Explore the processes and traits of successful entrepreneurs. Start collaborating with a group to develop concepts for a business proposal.

Conduct surveys and spend time at a local startup interviewing entrepreneurs to help define a target market for your new business. Build a customer profile, consider your competitive advantage, and test your ideas.

Through case studies and simulations, consider marketing strategies for your target customers, define your costs, and set your price. Develop an exciting pitch and present your business proposal to a panel of judges. 

Program Blogs

From CIEE

Futurium: A Glimpse Into Tomorrow

By Anthony Sia at CIEE

CIEE Entrepreneurship students visited Futurium today. Berlin’s Futurium offers a captivating portal into potential tomorrows. This interactive museum is a masterclass in the convergence of science, technology, and society, inviting... keep reading

From CIEE

Potsdam: Where History Meets Hip

By Anthony Sia at CIEE

A welcome respite from the entrepreneurial grind, CIEE students traded their laptops for train tickets, embarking on a day trip to Potsdam. Known primarily for its opulent palaces and meticulously... keep reading

From CIEE

From Product Pitches to Poolside: A Berlin Balancing Act

By Anthony Sia at CIEE

The art of product development is a delicate dance between creation and critique. Today, CIEE students in Berlin found themselves in the midst of a lively pas de deux as... keep reading

Activities

Sample Activities

Young people helping plant flowers in Berlin

Just imagine all the fun you’ll have!

  • Explore the trendy Kreutzberg neighborhood—see startups in action and shop at the historic Markthalle Neun.
  • Take a streetart tour to discover the unique graffiti marking the city's walls.
  • Relive the history of espionage at the German Spy Museum, decrypt secret messages, use listening devices, and complete a mission through a laser maze. 
  • Visit local vintage stores and unique specialty shops and converse with their founders about how they’ve expanded their business over time and carved out a niche for themselves!
  • Hop on a train to the nearby town of Potsdam. Explore the Holländisches Viertel (Dutch Quarter) and impressive Prussian Palace and Gardens of Sanssoucci, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
  • On an overnight trip to Erfurt, discover the quaint medieval charm of its half-timbered houses and market. Rediscover a long-forgotten synagogue or walk the catacombs of a Baroque fortress.

Please note activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.  

What Students Are Saying

  • "I learned how to create my own lean startup and all the work that goes into being an entrepreneur. I loved walking through Potsdam with my new close friends while taking in all that Potsdam has to offer."

    Mya B., Global Navigator Alum

  • "It was a great experience, one that I think should be felt by any student in high school. My favorite part was going to the top of the dome in the Reichstag. It was a lot of fun and that was when I knew I was going to remember this summer and these people forever."

    Nina T., Global Navigator Alum

  • "It was amazing visiting the Berlin Wall and Alexanderplatz. I spent a lot of time learning about the area and engaging with others and the sites around. It let me understand what Berlin is like and what European culture is like."

    Carlos P., Global Navigator Alum

  • "Berlin is very fun and I enjoyed the experience of traveling and learning about a new culture. We had a lot of freedom on our individual projects in class. I loved touring Görlitz and getting to experience that city too."

    Michelle Z., Global Navigator Alum

Eligibility

Eligibility

  • Participants must be 14 years old and above.
  • Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. 
  • For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.

For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Dates & Fees

Dates & Fees

Application Fee

$25

Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition. 

More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations or contact us.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Costs

Program Summer Session I 2025 3 weeks Start Date End Date Costs $6,450
Program Summer Session II 2025 3 weeks Start Date End Date Costs $6,450

What's Included

Interactive Classes

Housing

3 Meals/Day

(Dietary Needs Accommodated)

All Ground Transportation

(Once In-country)

Optional Flight Chaperone

(Flight Cost Not Included)

Pre-departure Advice and Orientation

Access to WIFI

(Local Set up to Use U.S. Smartphone Abroad)

All Cultural Activities and Excursions

Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection

24/7 Emergency On-site Support

Our Staff

Our Staff

Andrea Adam Moore

Center Director

Andrea Adam Moore holds a Master in Business Administration. Andrea was previously the Director of the Indiana University Europe Gateway in Berlin.

Ready to change your life?

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