by Rob Madrid | Feb 6, 2025 | Compañeros de Clase Globales, iEARN-USA News, Sponsored Programs
iEARN-USA’s Compañeros de Clase Globales Welcomes Students from Oaxaca Through New Stevens Initiative Partnership
iEARN-USA is proud to announce that Compañeros de Clase Globales, our dynamic virtual exchange program implemented with iEARN Mexico, will now include students from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, as part of a new partnership between The Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute and the Ministry of Education of Oaxaca. This collaboration marks an exciting step forward in expanding access to transformative virtual exchange opportunities for young people in Mexico, the United States, and beyond.
The partnership, formalized through a Letter of Intent between the Stevens Initiative and the Ministry of Education of Oaxaca, underscores a shared commitment to fostering global leadership through virtual exchange. This initiative will enable students from Oaxaca to connect with their peers across the United States, engaging in meaningful cross-cultural collaboration and dialogue.
Expanding Virtual Exchange Opportunities
Through this partnership, 250 high school students in Oaxaca will participate in virtual exchange programs in spring 2025, including Compañeros de Clase Globales, a program that fosters language learning and mutual understanding among Spanish-speaking classrooms. The program integrates real-world projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), helping students explore topics such as robotics, environmental sustainability, and cultural exchange through literature.
Compañeros de Clase Globales provides an opportunity for students in Oaxaca to collaborate with peers in U.S. cities such as Bozeman, MT; Henderson, NC; Nashville, TN; Oconomowoc, WI; Santa Fe, NM; Riverside, CA; and Washington, DC. This exchange enables students to engage in global conversations, develop their language skills, and work on solutions to shared challenges.
A Commitment to Global Learning
The partnership was announced in Oaxaca in a ceremony chaired by Delfina Guzmán, Secretary of Education of the State of Oaxaca, and Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative. Both leaders emphasized the importance of international virtual exchange programs in preparing young people to become future leaders and problem solvers in an increasingly interconnected world.
“The Stevens Initiative is proud to support the expansion of opportunities for young people in Oaxaca and the United States to engage in transformative cross-cultural exchanges, preparing them to lead a more peaceful and prosperous world,” said Christine Shiau. “This partnership represents a shared commitment to building bridges of understanding and opportunity for rising generations of leaders.”
In addition to Compañeros de Clase Globales, the partnership will also support Global Nomads Group’s Building Understanding Through Language Learning, which promotes empathy and awareness through language learning by connecting people in Mexico and the United States. Students also join live conversations with their international peers where they can interact with each other, share aspects of their cultures, and practice English or Spanish with native speakers as they discuss the curriculum.
iEARN-USA’s Compañeros de Clase Globales virtual program is funded by the Stevens Initiative, which is housed at the Aspen Institute and is supported by the Bezos Family Foundation. To learn more about iEARN-USA and how to join this or other virtual exchange programs, visit https://projects.us.iearn.org/.
Looking Ahead
As iEARN-USA continues to expand its reach and impact through virtual exchange, we are honored to be part of this initiative that connects students across borders and empowers them with the tools to collaborate on global issues. This partnership is an important milestone in our mission to foster mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation among young people worldwide.
For more details on the Stevens Initiative’s partnership with the State of Oaxaca, visit the official announcement here.
by [email protected] | Oct 8, 2021 | News, Sponsored Programs
Applications are now open for the 2022-23 NSLI-Y summer and academic year programs!
The State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a merit-based scholarship for high school students to study a critical language abroad for a summer or an academic year. NSLI-Y offers programs for Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, Turkish, and Indonesian. Program participants are immersed in the language and culture of their host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. Participants receive intensive language instruction, may live with a host family for all or part of the program, and participate in a variety of cultural activities.
As a program partner, iEARN implements NSLI-Y programs in India, Morocco, South Korea, and Taiwan. Please join us and encourage current U.S. high school students (ages 15 to 18) to submit an application for the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world language and culture through the NSLI-Y program.
Find more information and the application on the NSLI-Y program website. The deadline to apply for 2022-2023 summer and academic year programs is November 9 at 4 PM ET.
To learn more about the program from a participant perspective, you may view alumni-produced stories, photos, and videos on the NSLI-Y Interactive Website.
by [email protected] | Aug 28, 2020 | News, Sponsored Programs
In collaboration with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, iEARN-USA hosted a virtual Crip Camp Workshop, from August 17-21 in honor of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30th Anniversary. 2020 marks 30 years since the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. This landmark legislation prohibits discrimination based on disability and increases the opportunities and access for persons with disabilities. The law was written and passed to ensure that persons with disabilities have the same rights as other Americans.
The Crip Camp Workshop, Part I, centered around Netflix’s 2020 Crip Camp documentary produced by the Obama’s Higher Ground Production and winner of the 2020 Audience Award at Sundance. The film narrates the story of youth at a disability camp who became activists for the disability rights movement and fought for accessibility legislation. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in large part because of activists like the ones depicted in the film, Crip Camp.
The Crip Camp Workshop included a series of events centered around the film including a film discussion, keynote panel, and fireside chats with experts in the field of disability rights and advocacy. More than 450 participants from 72 countries registered for the workshop.
The workshop kicked off with the Crip Camp Cinema Circle moderated by iEARN-USA. Participants watched various clips from Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and discussed central themes of the film and the connections between challenges presented in the film and the issues facing the disability community today and in their own community. For example, one of the major themes of Crip Camp is the fight to make more spaces in the United States more broadly accessible. Participants discussed whether they have encountered a space that was inaccessible to them or someone else. With such a diverse range of participants and countries represented, the conversation was eye opening in terms of differences and similarities.
One of the most anticipated sessions of the workshop was the Keynote Speaker Panel, held on August 18. The YES program was delighted to introduce some of the leading disability rights advocates and civil rights leaders as panelists. Judy Heumann, an American disability rights activist and key figure in the film Crip Camp; Ann Cody, who oversees the International Disability Rights portfolio at the U.S. Department of State; and Andraéa LaVant, co-impact producer of Crip Camp and founder of LaVant Consulting Co. all joined the panel to discuss the grassroot activism that is so prominently featured in the film and how more communities and groups can encourage civic engagement and activism. Judy Heumann and Ann Cody shared about their initiatives such as the International Disability Rights portofolio at the U.S. Department of State and the World Institute on Disability. Through their experiences, Heumann and Cody shed light on where the United States stands in the global fight for accessible spaces. The panelists also spoke in detail about intersectionality for people with disabilities. Participants from around the world were able to submit their questions to the panelists, and hear advice, wisdom, and encouragement from the panel. Watch the recording of the video below!
On Thursday, August 27, iEARN educator JoEllen Delamatta led a session on “Crip Camp and My Community.†This session, which was based on the iEARN framework, guided participants to take a critical look at their own society, consider disability rights in their communities and country, and connect with peers over similarities and differences. Participants connected with other youth about the challenges and issues facing the disability community and drew similarities between scenes in Crip Camp and their own societies. The participants discussed the obstacles that disabled students face in their communities and how they can work towards making schools more accessible and inclusive. Together, the participants brainstormed a variety of project ideas that they could implement in their communities to help advocate for people with disabilities.
Later in the week, participants had the opportunity to connect with Andraéa LaVant and Mobility International USA during fireside chats on self-advocacy and global disability rights. These sessions served as an opportunity for workshop attendees to engage directly with the experts, exchange dialogue with other workshop attendees, and share about their own communities and contexts.
by [email protected] | Sep 18, 2019 | News, Sponsored Programs
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program is a merit-based scholarship for high school students to study a foreign language abroad for a summer or an academic-year. NSLI-Y programs begin in Summer 2020 for Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkish languages. Each scholarship covers expenses for program fees, including pre-departure and arrival orientations, secondary health insurance, and ensure careful placement with host families. Participants immerse themselves in the cultural life of the host country, giving them invaluable formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures.
As a program partner, iEARN administers language programs in India, Korea, Morocco, and Taiwan. Please join us and encourage current American high school students (ages 15 to 18) to submit an application for a chance to experience a new language and culture through the NSLI-Y program.
The application and more information is available at www.nsliforyouth.org. The deadline for 2020-2021 NSLI-Y programs is October 30, 2019 at 4PM Eastern Time.
Apply for NSLI-Y
How to Apply
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The Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, provides American high school students with scholarships to study abroad in countries with significant Muslim populations. Each scholarship covers expenses for program fees, including pre-departure and arrival orientations in Washington DC, secondary health insurance, and ensure careful placement with host families.
YES Abroad scholars in 2020-2021 will be placed in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, North Macedonia, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand or Turkey.
YES Abroad scholars live with host families, attend local high schools, participate in enrichment activities, acquire leadership skills, and help educate others about American culture while learning about their host country’s culture.
The application and more information is available at www.yes-abroad.org. Applications for 2020-2021 close on December 3, 2019 at 11:59PM ET.
Apply for YES Abroad
https://www.yes-abroad.org/how-to-apply
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by [email protected] | Sep 13, 2018 | News, Sponsored Programs
Do you know an intrepid 15-18 year old who loves learning languages and experiencing other cultures? Encourage them to apply for NSLI-Y, a U.S. State Department-sponsored scholarship program for youth to study languages abroad. Scholarship recipients spend a summer or academic year abroad studying less commonly taught languages. Languages for the 2019-2020 programs include: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, and Turkish.
Applications for 2019-2020 programs are now available. The application deadline is October 30, 2018 at 4 PM Eastern Time. Learn how to apply today!
Caden, a NSLI-Y alumnus who participated in the Korean Academic Year program (2017-2018), reflected on the benefits of his language immersion experience:
“I have become more confident in who I am as a person. I am more willing to try new things, and actively step out of my comfort zone to meet new people and create new experiences. I have created relationships and bonds that will hopefully last a lifetime.”
Elaborating on the value of cross-cultural experiences, an alum from the Chinese Academic Year program (2017-2018) wrote:
“I think that this was an amazing experience to have before going to college. It really opened my eyes to another place in the world in a way which would have been impossible otherwise. I think the experience is extremely valuable and is certainly not something which I would easily forget. I think everyone can benefit from learning another language and seeing other cultures, and I believe experiences like this, which build a more global viewpoint, are extremely important especially to people in the US today who may not experience life in other countries as easily. I believe that cross cultural experiences will build the future as they have the present, and I believe a program like NSLI-Y provides a key experience and building block in that process.”
We hope that you share this opportunity to apply for the 2019-2020 NSLI-Y scholarship programs with current U.S. high school students (and educators!) who are passionate about building a more interconnected world.
Learn more about the NSLI-Y program here.
Apply for the 2019-2020 NSLI-Y Programs!
How to Apply
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by [email protected] | May 12, 2017 | News, Sponsored Programs
Students in the BRIDGE Program are learning about heritage, identity, and tradition through an exploration of historical landmarks and famous places. For six weeks, classrooms in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, the U.S., and Yemen research historical landmarks and engage in cross-cultural communication in an asynchronous discussion forum. Learn more about their collaborative project.
Introductions: Classrooms began their virtual exchange with introductions. Students and classrooms shared information about themselves, their schools, and their communities.
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If you are a Middle or High School teacher interested in joining a project like this, join our Fall cohort of educators in the BRIDGE Program.
Click here for more information and to register.
http://bridge.iearn.org/register-now-for-the-bridge-program-in-fall-2017/
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