Join a Program

Bring virtual exchange to young people without having to design a program of your own! Individual educators or entire educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can incorporate virtual exchange into classrooms and extracurricular settings by implementing an existing program. The Stevens Initiative will connect programs with participating institutions and educators to access content, international partners, technology, facilitation training, and other forms of guidance and support.

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K-12

Digital Promise – Building Global Apps U.S. & MENA

Digital Promise’s Building Global Apps, designed in partnership with MAD-Learn and the International Education Association, fosters interpersonal and design thinking skills by connecting high school-aged youth in Lebanon and the United States through mobile app-building. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: High school teachers.
  • Locations: United States (States located in U.S. Eastern Time and Central Time preferred), Lebanon
  • Time Frame: Two to three hours/week over seven weeks; October-November 2024

Global Nomads Group – Real Youth, Artificial Intelligence U.S. & MENA

Global Nomads Group’s (GNG) Real Youth, Artificial Intelligence connects middle and high school-aged youth for a virtual exchange about AI developed by youth designers through an internship with GNG’s Content Creation Lab. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Middle School/Grades 6-8, High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: Administrators and educators at middle schools and high schools. Program managers and coordinators at community centers and organizations working directly with youth between the ages of 12-18.
  • Locations: United States, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia
  • Time Frame: Two to four hours/week over four weeks

iEARN-USA – Compañeros de Clase Globales U.S. & Latin America

iEARN-USA’s Compañeros de Clase Globales connects classrooms in Guatemala and the United States (including Puerto Rico), engaging students in global, collaborative learning while they examine compelling real-world issues and explore ways they can make a difference. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Elementary School/Grades 4-6, High School/Grades 11-12
  • Partners: Educators or community-based instructors who work with students in grades 4-6 or students in grades 11-12 in the classroom.
  • Locations: United States, Guatemala
  • Time Frame: Two hours/week over six to 12 weeks; March–May, September–November

iEARN-USA - Storytelling for Change U.S. & MENA

iEARN-USA’s Storytelling for Change builds global leaders by engaging Algerian, Tunisian, and American youth in global collaboration to tell stories about real world issues in their local communities. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: Educators who work with high school-aged youth in schools or out-of-school programs.
  • Locations: Algeria, Tunisia, United States (States located in U.S. Eastern Time and Central Time only)
  • Time Frame: At least two hours/week over seven weeks; September-November, March-May

International Foundation for Training and Development (IFTD) – Youth for Sustainable Development Goals U.S. & MENA

IFTD’s Youth for Sustainable Development Goals fosters critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills among high school-aged youth in North Africa and the United States through interactive discussions and collaborative projects that address solutions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partner Profile: Educational institutions, nonprofits, and organizations focused on youth development in the U.S. (Eastern and Central Times)
  • Locations: United States
  • One to three hours/week for eight weeks

IREX - World Smarts Changemakers U.S. & Latin America

IREX’s World Smarts Changemakers connects young people from the United States and Latin America in bilingual conversation and a problem-based learning experience that inspires mutual understanding, language immersion, and community development. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Middle School/Grades 6-8, High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: Educators who work with middle and high school-aged students.
  • Locations: United States (Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC), Guatemala
  • Time Frame: Nine weeks; two hours/week; Fall: September-November, Spring: February-April

Mapworks Learning – Ukraine Youth Action Network U.S. & Europe

MapWorks Learning’s Ukraine Youth  Network connects young Ukrainians displaced by war with peers in the United States to jointly develop and practice skills of leadership and agency as well as to design and implement concrete plans to benefit Ukraine. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Middle School/Grades 6-8, High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: High school and middle school teachers in any subject as well as youth development organizations, such as 4-H and scouting troops (e.g. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Plast)
  • Locations: Ukraine (Western), European Union, United States
  • Time Frame: September-December; January-May

Marshall Legacy Institute – Peace Through Sport U.S. & MENA

The Marshall Legacy Institute’s Peace Through Sport fosters global connections between American and Yemeni youth, using the common language of sport to promote leadership, civic engagement, and understanding, which prepares participants to create positive change in their communities. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12; Undergraduate
  • Partners: Teachers and administrators in private schools, public schools, and higher education institutions as well as leaders of clubs and groups working with youth and young adults.
  • Locations: United States
  • Time Frame: Eight weeks from January-February, April-May, July-August, and October-November 2025

Take Action Global – Taking Action Together U.S. & MENA

Take Action Global’s Taking Action Together provides learning experiences for teachers and students centered on meaningful global connections. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: K-12 school leaders who have a team of teachers ready to commit their school from August 2024-May 2025. 
  • Locations: Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
  • Time Frame: One to two hours/week over 10 to 12 weeks; August 2024-May 2025

Higher Education

Marshall Legacy Institute – Peace Through Sport U.S. & MENA

The Marshall Legacy Institute’s Peace Through Sport fosters global connections between American and Yemeni youth, using the common language of sport to promote leadership, civic engagement, and understanding, which prepares participants to create positive change in their communities. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12; Undergraduate
  • Partners: Teachers and administrators in private schools, public schools, and higher education institutions as well as leaders of clubs and groups working with youth and young adults.
  • Locations: United States
  • Time Frame: Eight weeks from January-February, April-May, July-August, and October-November 2025

PATHWAYS Institute for Negotiation Education – Game Changers: Creative Negotiation Skills U.S. & MENA

PATHWAYS Institute for Negotiation Education’s Game Changers: Creative Negotiation Skills builds confidence and skills for creative negotiation, problem-solving, and leadership among university students coming together from Israel and the United States. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions, particularly from education, social sciences, and humanities.
  • Locations: Israel, United States
  • Time Frame: Two and a half hours/week, in two weekly sessions, over six to seven weeks. October-December; February-April

World Learning – STEAM Innovations U.S. & MENA

World Learning’s STEAM Innovations effectively prepares college-aged youth from Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United States for successful exploration of future STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) specialties and careers, while fostering mutual understanding and equipping them with critical skills and the ability to contribute meaningfully to their communities. Learn more

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions who have a strong connection with youth and young adults, particularly those involved in STEM fields.
  • Locations: United States, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia
  • Time Frame: Four to six hours/week over eight weeks