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

AFS Intercultural Programs – Global Up Americas U.S. & Latin America

AFS Intercultural Programs’ Global Up Americas connects young people and their educators in the Americas, developing them as active global citizens through a virtual, classroom-to-classroom learning experience with global competence curriculum and live facilitated dialogue sessions. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12 (14-17 years old)
  • Partners: High school educators who teach any subject relevant to the program’s core curriculum components: cultural diversity, language learning (Spanish and English), geography, social studies, intercultural communication, global affairs, among others.
  • Locations: United States, Colombia, Mexico
  • Time Frame: Two-three hours/week over five to six weeks; October–December, January–June 2024, September–December 2024

Digital Promise – Building Apps Across Cultures U.S. & MENA

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

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: High school teachers (priority given to Title I schools in the U.S.).
  • 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

Educación para Compartir – Culture for Sharing U.S. & Latin America

Educación para Compartir’s Culture for Sharing brings together elementary school aged youth for dialogue about global issues and interculturality, creating a space for participants to learn about and appreciate their own and other cultures using the power of play. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Elementary School/Grades PreK-6
  • Partners: Principals and teachers from Elementary public schools in Yucatán, Mexico and New York, United States.
  • Locations: United States (New York), Mexico (Yucatan)
  • Time Frame: One hour/week over seven weeks; February–June 2024, September–December 2024

Global Nomads Group – Overcoming Bias Through Language Learning U.S. & Latin America

Global Nomads Group’s Overcoming Bias Through Language Learning is a virtual exchange that promotes empathy, awareness, and action-orientation among middle and high school aged youth in Mexico and the United States through language learning. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Middle School/Grades 6-8, High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: English and Spanish language educators in Mexico and the U.S. in middle and high schools. Program managers at organizations in Mexico and the U.S. in out-of-school language learning programs for middle and high school aged youth.
  • Locations: United States, Mexico
  • Time Frame: One to one and a half hours/week over eight to 12 weeks; February–May

Global Nomads Group – Overcoming Bias in AI U.S. & MENA

Global Nomads Group’s (GNG) Overcoming Bias in AI connects middle and high school-aged youth for a virtual exchange about bias in 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 Spanish-speaking classrooms in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States, engaging students in cross-cultural, 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. For the first cohort beginning in January 2024, participants must have an intermediate or advanced level of Spanish language proficiency (bilingual English/Spanish classrooms and English learners are welcome). In later cohorts, all classrooms will be welcome.
  • Locations: United States, Guatemala
  • Time Frame: Two hours/week over six to 12 weeks; March–May, September–November

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

iEARN-USA’s Storytelling for Social 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

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

IREX’s World Smarts Changemakers connects young people from the United States and Guatemala in bilingual conversation and a problem-based learning experience that inspires cultural awareness, language immersion, and community development.

  • 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 Action 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 of action to benefit Ukraine.

  • 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

Plugged in Band Program – Peace Tracks U.S. & MENA

Plugged In Band Program’s Peace Tracks is a cross-cultural, music-focused online youth exchange that provides high school students with an unforgettable opportunity to connect with peers in other countries to get to know them, learn about their cultures, and collaborate over the course of a semester on an original song. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12
  • Partners: Educators who work with high-school students in schools; community-based organizations with instructors who work with high-school students in after- or out-of-school programs during weekday; or community-based organization specializing in virtual exchange.
  • Locations: Jordan, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, United States
  • Time Frame: Two hours/week over 14 weeks; February-April, September-January

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

Take Action Global’s Taking Climate Action Together provides learning experiences for teachers and students centered on sustainability and environmental literacy, green skills, and 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. No prior experience with climate action education is needed, and TAG is committed to open access to educational resources and outreach efforts to include schools serving underrepresented populations.
  • Locations: Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
  • Time Frame: One to two hours/week over 10 to 12 weeks; August 2024-May 2025

Higher Education

Amideast – Qisasna U.S. & MENA

Amideast’s Qisasna facilitates cross-cultural exchange between young people in the United States and Yemen by providing them with the skills they need to produce podcasts on shared challenges and opportunities between youth. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12 (Yemen), Undergraduate (Yemen and U.S.), Young adult (Yemen: Gap year students in particular)
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions, as well as program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young adults.
  • Locations: United States, Yemen
  • Time Frame: At least three hours/week over 12 weeks; February-May, September-December

Institute of International Education - Harnessing Innovation through Virtual Exchange for Enhanced Results (HIVER) U.S. & MENA

IIE’s HIVER develops intercultural communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills among a diverse group of students at participating universities in the United States and Middle East and North Africa. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate
  • Partners: Faculty at higher education institutions from any disciplines.
  • Locations: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, United States
  • Time Frame: Three-four hours/week over 12 weeks; fall 2023, spring 2024, fall 2024, spring 2025

IREX – Global Solutions U.S. & MENA

IREX’s Global Solutions places college students from the United States with peers in Iraq or Jordan in binational teams to collaborate on innovative solutions related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through virtual exchange. Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge is an eight-week virtual business competition where participants develop and pitch an innovative business concept that addresses a UN SDG while building essential workforce and global citizenship skills. Global Solutions Conversations connects young people over six weeks for live discussions about their culture and global issues, which culminates in a joint session engaging all participants to celebrate their innovative ideas and share lessons learned. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions from any disciplines.
  • Locations: Iraq, Jordan, United States
  • Time Frame: At least three hours/week over eight weeks; October-December, February- April (Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge), at least one and a half hours/week over six weeks; October-November, March-April (Global Solutions Conversations)

Mexican Association for International Education -  Program for the Internationalization of the Curricula for the Americas U.S. & Latin America

AMPEI’s Program for the Internationalization of the Curricula for the Americas (PIC-AMERICAS) identifies, pairs, and trains faculty from across the Americas to catalyze the Collaborative Online International Learning Model (COIL) of virtual exchange through networking support, COIL design workshops, specialized mentoring, and training for COIL coordinators of higher education institutions, providing thousands of young people opportunities to learn alongside international peers. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions
  • Locations: United States, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Perú
  • Time Frame: Five to six hours/week over five-eight weeks; fall 2024, spring 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

Soliya – Connect Global U.S. & MENA

Soliya’s Connect Program, in partnership with colleges and universities in the United States and in the Middle East and North Africa, brings together students for four-to-eight weeks to discuss potentially divisive current global events and issues in the presence of facilitators trained in dialogue and conflict resolution. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate, Young adult
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions; and program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young adults for education. Learn about Soliya’s partners in the United States and Middle East and North Africa here.
  • Locations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, United States
  • Time Frame: Four-, five-, and eight-week program options, with two hours face time allocated over each week; March-May, October-December.

Soliya – Global Circles U.S. & MENA

Soliya’s Global Circles bring together young adults and professionals for two-week discussions by facilitators trained in dialogue and conflict resolution, with a particular focus on the impact of globalized technologies on society, and is open to direct enrollment. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate, Young Adult
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions, as well as program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young professionals. Individuals also qualify to participate through open enrollment.
  • Locations: Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United States, Yemen
  • Time Frame: Two and a half-hour live exchanges/week over two weeks; February, March, April, June, September, October, November

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 cross-cultural understanding and equipping them with critical skills, a global perspective, 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

Young Adult

Amideast – Qisasna U.S. & MENA

Amideast’s Qisasna facilitates cross-cultural exchange between young people in the United States and Yemen by providing them with the skills they need to produce podcasts on shared challenges and opportunities between youth. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: High School/Grades 9-12 (Yemen), Undergraduate (Yemen and U.S.), Young adult (Yemen: Gap year students in particular)
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions, as well as program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young adults.
  • Locations: United States, Yemen
  • Time Frame: At least three hours/week over 12 weeks; February-May, September-December

Soliya – Connect Global U.S. & MENA

Soliya’s Connect Program, in partnership with colleges and universities in the United States and in the Middle East and North Africa, brings together students for four-to-eight weeks to discuss potentially divisive current global events and issues in the presence of facilitators trained in dialogue and conflict resolution. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate, Young adult
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions; and program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young adults for education. Learn about Soliya’s partners in the United States and Middle East and North Africa here.
  • Locations: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, United States
  • Time Frame: Four-, five-, and eight-week program options, with two hours face time allocated over each week; March-May, October-December.

Soliya – Global Circles U.S. & MENA

Soliya’s Global Circles bring together young adults and professionals for two-week discussions by facilitators trained in dialogue and conflict resolution, with a particular focus on the impact of globalized technologies on society, and is open to direct enrollment. Learn more.

  • Participant Age Group: Undergraduate, Graduate, Young Adult
  • Partners: Faculty and administrators at higher education institutions, as well as program managers at organizations that engage with youth and young professionals. Individuals also qualify to participate through open enrollment.
  • Locations: Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United States, Yemen
  • Time Frame: Two and a half-hour live exchanges/week over two weeks; February, March, April, June, September, October, November