Professional Learning

Managing Travel Programs in Mainland China Meet-up

January 31, 2025

Join this meet-up to chat with other schools about managing student travel programs in mainland China given changing circumstances on the ground. Schools who have recently travelled, those who are currently planning or who are considering future programs are all welcome to join.  Topics might include: 

Visa applications and travel logistics
Communicating with students and families 
Navigating digital life in mainland China including digital payments and cyber security
Changes in partner school relationships

GEBG Topical Meet-Ups are casual, participant-driven spaces to connect with peers and engage in discussion around a particular topic of interest, generated in response to member needs. Topical meet-ups begin with a school or two sharing their experience in the area of focus, followed by breakout rooms. GEBG Meet-Ups are not recorded in order to support open and frank conversation.

+ FORMAT: Virtual, synchronous meet-up (will not be recorded)
+ DATES: Friday, January 31 2025 // 9-10AM Pacific // 12-1PM Eastern // 6-7PM Central European
+ COST: Free / Member schools only
+ AUDIENCE: Open to educators in current GEBG Member Schools

Register Here

Building and Sustaining School to School Partnerships for Travel Programming Meet-up

February 5, 2025

Many GEBG Schools invest in cultivating and maintaining school-to-school partnerships in order to empower sustainable, relationship-driven global education opportunities. These types of partnerships can allow schools to develop exchange programs, to engage in community-based learning that is mutually beneficial, and to develop in-house travel programs centered around clear and shared goals. Join this meet-up to hear from how some schools are currently exploring this idea—including its opportunities and challenges. Some topics of discussion might include

Creating in-house travel experiences based on partnership-driven goals
Curriculum-development and risk-management of student (and possibly teacher) exchanges
Using school partnerships to expand the classroom through virtual exchanges
Identifying and cultivating school partnership opportunities
Sustaining partnerships over time

These meet-ups are a casual opportunity to reconnect with colleagues leading global education initiatives to hear what they are planning for this fall and to hear about resources from GEBG. We offer meet-ups free of charge to adults from GEBG Member Schools. We don’t record meet-ups in support of frank and open conversation.

+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ DATES: Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 9-10AM Pacific // 12-1PM Eastern // 6-7PM Central European
+ COST: Free / Member schools only
+ AUDIENCE: School leaders—including administrators and teachers—interested in building, engaging, or sustaining school-to-school partnerships

Navigating Changes for All Travelers in Entry Requirements to the UK and European Union Webinar

The United Kingdom and European Union continue to be frequent locations for school travel programs. But now schools are facing new policies and regulations related to entry requirements to these popular destinations for all travelers including citizens of the U.S. and Canada. Join this webinar with experts from the European Tourism Association who will help explain how to follow new and evolving rules for entry into the UK (ETA) and the European Union (EES and ETIAS), especially with regard to working with minors. The session will include live Q and A through the presentations, but will also be recorded. Please register in order to receive a link to the recording.

Presented by:
Jay Munro-Michell, Senior Manager, Central Europe, European Tourism Association (ETOA)
Simon Smith, Policy Manager, European Tourism Association (ETOA)

+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ DATES: Thursday, February 20th, 2025 // 9-10AM Pacific // 12-1PM Eastern // 6-7PM Central European
+ COST: Free / Member schools only

Register Here

Monthly Meet-ups for Climate Educators and Sustainability Leaders in Schools

September 2024 – May 25, Monthly on Mondays / Virtual

An informal meet-up with a participant-generated agenda to discuss opportunities, resources, and challenges of climate education and sustainability program leadership at schools. Participants from member schools are welcome to join any meet-up and only need to register once for all meet-ups. Facilitated by Lindsey Lohwater, Science Department Faculty, Sustainability Coordinator, St. Mark’s School.We don’t record meet-ups in support of frank and open conversation.

+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ DATES: 2nd Monday of each month (with two exceptions for holidays)* / 4-5PM Pacific / 7-8PM Eastern

*Note: the January and March meetings will be on January 15 (not 13) and March 5 (not 10) from 12-1PM Pacific / 3-4PM Eastern with the intent to provide a time that accommodates participants outside of North America.

+ AUDIENCE: Open to educators in current GEBG Member Schools (including educators formerly part of the independent schools sustainability leads group)
+ COST: Free

Register Here

Earth Day/Week/Month Programming Meet-up

February 26, 2025

Earth Day provides a natural opportunity each year for school communities to think about climate and sustainability awareness and action and to engage colleagues and student leaders in the process. However, with often limited resources and time, how do climate and sustainability leaders in schools think about impactful and sustainable programming? For some schools, this task involves expanding programming beyond a single day and celebrating “Earth Week” or even “Earth Month.” Join this meet-up to engage in dialogue about what types of programming schools have successfully employed in the past, what their plans are for April 2025, how they might partner in these efforts, and what types of obstacles and opportunities they are currently facing.
GEBG Topical Meet-Ups are casual, participant-driven spaces to connect with peers and engage in discussion around a particular topic of interest, generated in response to member needs. Topical meet-ups begin with 2-3 schools sharing their work in the area of focus, followed by breakout rooms. GEBG Meet-Ups are not recorded in order to support open and frank conversation.

+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ DATES: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 // 9-10AM Pacific // 12-1PM Eastern // 6-7PM Central European
+ COST: Free
+ AUDIENCE: Climate/Sustainability Leaders, Student Action Educators/Administrators, Any Adults Working on Earth Day/Week/Month Programming

Register Here

Strategic Climate Action Planning at Schools Webinar

While a significant and essential component to climate and sustainability education in schools is thinking about student-facing programming and school curriculum, leaders in this space also recognize the crucial importance of considering a school’s institutional climate impact and the responsibility to mitigate this impact. However, this work requires regular and significant collaboration among many key adult stakeholders—in addition to expertise in data collection and analysis, understanding of complex systems, fluency in current and emerging technologies, and authority over budgets and strategic priorities. What can it look like for an institution to seriously consider its climate impact through the development of a CAP (climate action plan) alongside other strategic plans and tools? How do schools collaborate internally to pursue these goals, and in what ways can outside partners support? What types of commitment and resources does this work involve, and how do schools and their partners track success over time? Join this webinar to hear about how two GEBG Member Schools—St. Mark’s School in MA, USA and Appleby College in ON, Canada—are working on these questions, both in partnership with consultants. All registrants will receive a recording of the session and have the opportunity to submit questions for the presenters, and those attending live will have the opportunity to ask their questions during the session.

Speakers:

• Lindsey Lohwater (St. Mark’s School, MA, USA) and Debra Shepard (Riverstone Sustainability)
• Nicola St. George (Appleby College, ON, Canada) and Michèle Andrews (DoorNumberOne.org)

Facilitator: Chad Detloff, GEBG

+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ DATES: April 16, 2025 // 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
+ AUDIENCE: Open to educators in current GEBG Member Schools (including educators formerly part of the independent schools sustainability leads group)
+ COST: Free

Register Here

Intercultural Dialogue Webinar: What is it and how can it support schools?

What is intercultural dialogue, and what is it not? How might this research-informed pedagogical practice support schools’ efforts around civil discourse, strengthen inclusion and belonging, and engage students in competency based learning? This webinar will share the fundamentals of intercultural dialogue, the competencies it teaches like perspective-taking and communication across difference, and highlight several school models from various departments and programs.

Presented by:
Melissa Brown, Director of Professional Development and Intercultural Programs, GEBG
Chad Detloff, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, GEBG

+ DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 2024 12:00 PM Pacific // 3:00 PM Eastern // 9:00 PM Central European
+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ COST: Free / Member schools only

Global Competence Certificate for Educators in Partnership with AFS

In order to teach the intercultural competencies necessary for students to thrive as engaged citizens in a diverse society and interconnected world, educators need to understand what those competencies are, what they look like in both students and in themselves, and how to best develop educational environments and opportunities to model and teach these competencies.

GEBG is partnering with AFS Intercultural Programs       to offer a Global Competence Certificate program for educators across grade levels and subject areas at GEBG member schools. The program includes a combination of AFS-developed asynchronous online coursework as well as synchronous GEBG-facilitated educator dialogues.

Course Outline

Unit One: Inward

Welcome & Roadmap, Culture & Identity, Observe Your Context

Unit Two: Outward

When Differences Collide, Empathy & Listening, Stereotypes & Generalizations, Suspending Judgment, Cultural Value Dimensions, Communication Styles, Dealing with Conflict, Polarized Societies, Understanding Inequality

Unit Three: Forward

Teaching the SDGs, Taking Action, Globally Competent Teaching

Support the educators in your school to develop and demonstrate the intercultural competencies your global education and DEI commitments ask of them. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate to accompany the new knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed through the program!

+ FORMAT: Asynchronous online coursework (10-15 hours) and four synchronous, virtual educator dialogues
+ DATES: A certificate for the course requires full participation in 4 synchronous Facilitated Dialogue Sessions which cover 4 different content areas. Participants may choose to participate only in the asynchronous aspect of the course; no course certificate will be issued.  If a participant is unable to attend a session, they will be able to makeup missed dialogues in the make up session listed below.

SPRING COHORT

Dialogue #1

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 // 12-1.30PM Pacific / 3-4.30PM Eastern / 9-10.30PM Central European

Dialogue #2:

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 // 12-1.30PM Pacific / 3-4.30PM Eastern / 9-10.30PM Central European

Dialogue #3:

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 // 12-1.30PM Pacific / 3-4.30PM Eastern / 9-10.30PM Central European

Dialogue #4:

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 // 12-1.30PM Pacific / 3-4.30PM Eastern / 9-10.30PM Central European

Make Up Session

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 // 12-1.30PM Pacific / 3-4.30PM Eastern / 9-10.30PM Central European

+ COST: $250 member schools only
+ AUDIENCE: Adults interested in developing their global competence

Register Here

Webinar on Current Research in K-12 Climate Education

In this webinar, Clare Sisisky, post-doctoral research fellow at the Klingenstein Center (2022-2024) and Executive Director of the GEBG, will share findings from her two-year study with over 70 participants from over 30 independent schools on how educators are equipping and empowering their students for climate action in their curriculum, including examples from across departments and grade levels. Learn more about how student anxiety, teacher motivation, and climate change are connected and highly relevant for our schools.
Live Q+A to follow presentation; registrants will receive a recording of the session, available for a limited time.

Presented by:
Clare Sisisky, Executive Director, Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG)

+ DATE: Wednesday, October 2 from 9-9.45AM Pacific / 12-12.45PM Eastern / 6-6.45PM Central European
+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ AUDIENCE: Open to educators in current GEBG Member Schools (including educators formerly part of the independent schools sustainability leads group)
+ COST: Free

Making the Best Use of the International SOS Resources for Plan Subscribers Webinar

+ DATE: TBD
+ FORMAT: Virtual
+ AUDIENCE: Open to educators in current GEBG Member Schools
+ COST: Free

Make the Case for Global Education Across the School Virtual Webinar

Learn how to leverage emerging research, data, and strategic communications to make the case for advancing an education relevant for today’s complex world anchored in your school’s mission.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST / 1:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM Central European Summer Time

+ FORMAT: Virtual Webinar with live Q&A, A recording will be shared with all registered attendees
+ DATES: Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern / 7:00 Central European Summer Time
+ COST: Free / Member schools only

Collaborating with Writers and Agents to bring Global Issues and Perspectives into Student Learning Webinar

Many schools engage with authors and writers as guest speakers, from journalists to novelists to poets. These visits often bring new stories and perspectives into students’ learning; they often ask students to engage with challenging global issues or to understand with empathy the lives of other people. But how might we better collaborate with these speakers to maximize their time on campus? How might we engage student learning beyond the one-time visit? How might we better work with agents to help them understand our needs, both financial and educational?

Presented by
Scott Parsons, Director of the Upper School, Columbus School for Girls (OH, USA)

Regional Risk Management Workshop

This interactive workshop is designed to support school leaders/teachers in developing a shared mindset around risk management of medical, security, and liability risks. It aims to strengthen practices and strategies to mitigate and manage those risks before, during, and after an overnight program. This workshop includes: presentations, many small-group, scenario-based discussions, numerous shared frameworks and resources, opportunities to exchange with leaders from other schools, strategies to apply the concepts to the unique programs and contexts of the participants and their school communities.

Workshop Outline:

• Part One: Understanding Risk Management and The Roles and Responsibilities of Overnight Travel Leaders
• Part Two: Identifying and Collaboratively Managing Medical, Security, and Liability Risks in Overnight Travel Program Scenarios
• Part Three: Exploring Specific and Emerging Risks of Overnight Travel

+ DATE: Friday, February 28, 2025 // 9:30am – 4:00pm
+ LOCATION: Crofton House School, 3200 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC V6N 1L3, Canada
+ AUDIENCE: Overnight Education leaders and teachers, International Trip Leaders, Overnight Trip Leaders
+ COST: $215 USD member school discount, $245 USD non-member school

Register Here

GEBG Custom School Services

GEBG offers a variety of custom programming support to both member and non-member schools. These include risk management support, curriculum development, intercultural dialogue training and strategic planning. 
Schools are welcome to see overviews of our offerings, examples of what is possible, and the associated costs at the link below.
Read More and Submit your Interest Here

Risk-Management Microcourse for Overnight-Travel Program Leaders

As many schools focus on equipping leaders in risk management of overnight travel programs in domestic and international settings, we will be offering a fully virtual, asynchronous, self-paced course this school year.

Leaders of overnight programs in schools are usually teachers, coaches, and other members of the school community. While the skill set necessary for leadership of overnight programs has many overlaps with the competencies of these school professionals, there are other essential understandings and skills necessary to manage the many risks associated with domestic and international learning experiences. This custom course is catered to support these busy school leaders and to support your continued work in developing and improving your school’s risk-management policies, procedures, and capacity.

Course Essential Questions
What is risk management (RM)? Why is it important to teacher-leaders of overnight programs, domestic and international?
What are some of the relevant model practices in managing risk for overnight travel?
What does pre- and post-travel risk management entail—in addition to on-site risk-management for domestic and international programs?
How can I as an educator and trip leader best keep students, leaders, and the institution safe from both wellbeing and liability risks before, during, and after an overnight travel program?

Microcourse content to include some recorded presentations, video content, scenarios, and related resources. Participants who complete all required components of the course will receive certificate of completion.

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 4-6 total hours (self paced)
+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously through the 2024-2025 school year — certificates of completion sent in January, June, and September 2025
+ COST: $195, members only; discount for schools with more than 10 participants
+ AUDIENCE: Travel program leaders, global directors, school administrators

REGISTER HERE

Risk Management for Leadership and Administration for Overnight Travel Programs Microcourse

This microcourse helps participants identify aspects of their current practices that they want to expand as well as areas for new development through collaborative efforts. Through a series of recorded conversations with experts across the international risk-management field, participants will be able to identify the core practices relevant to their school at this time, to learn about how these experts are thinking about and managing risks related to domestic and international overnight travel, and to establish next steps for their programs and institutions. Curated resources support participants’ ability to look deeper into topics of particular relevance and interest, and the self-paced, fully asynchronous model provides flexibility and independence during this particularly busy time.

Guest speakers include
Katie Baum Mettenbrink, Associate Director of Operations, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
Jeff Baierlein, Director, Viristar
Sara Boisvert, former Director of the Powell Institute for Responsible Citizenship, Collegiate School, VA
Melissa Brown–former Director of Diversity, Wellbeing, and Global Education–The Holton-Arms School, MD
Felipe Correa, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Envoys
Dr. Clare Dallat, Director of Risk Resolve and adjunct member of the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems
Dr. Mark Fischer, Medical Director, International SOS
Bill Frederick, Director of Safety at the Guarini Institute at Dartmouth and Founder of Lodestone Safety International
Liz Gray, Consultant, Remote Area Risk International (R2Ri)
John Hughes, Director of Experiential Education, The Lawrenceville School, NJ
Justin Kollinger, Risk Management Consultant, United Educators
Kevin Murungi, Director of Global Social Impact, Brooklyn Friends School, NY
John Nordquist, Cross-Perspective Consultant, AEE Accreditation Council
Bobby Riley, Vice President, Fred C. Church Insurance
Leah Rockwell, Counselor-in-Residence, Global Education Benchmark Group
Steve Smith, Founder, Outdoor Risk Experiential Consulting
Henning Snyman, Security Director, International SOS

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 12-15 total hours (self paced)
+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously May 15 – August 31, 2025
+ COST: $195 for members; $275 for non-members
+ AUDIENCE: School administrators, global directors, travel program leaders

Register Here

Virtual Course on Supporting Student Mental Health on Overnight Programs

Developed and facilitated by Leah Rockwell, Rockwell Wellness Consulting

This course seeks to equip learners with a variety of ways that they can support student mental health in their processes and protocols leading up to travel, during travel and after travel as to mitigate risks related to student mental health crises and to support resilience development in program participants.

Learners will become familiar with mental health concepts such as:
Current mental health trends in today’s students
Informed consent
Definitions of mental health
Trauma and post-traumatic growth
Trauma-informed program design
The “window of tolerance”
The role of the counselor and the limits of the counseling profession
The basics of mental health first aid, adapted for travel programs
Stabilizing and grounding exercises to support mental health
Emotional dysregulation and co-regulation

+ FORMAT: Virtual, fully asynchronous online course through Canvas LMS // 4-6 total hours (self paced)
+ DATES: Course runs asynchronously through the 2024-2025 school year — certificates of completion sent in January, June, and September 2025
+ COST: $195, members only; discount for schools with more than 10 participants
+ AUDIENCE: Overnight Program Leaders, Global Directors, School Administrators

REGISTER HERE

Competency-Based Curriculum Design for Experiential Programs PLC (professional learning community)

Leading a department or program that utilizes place-based, experiential learning involves strong understanding of global curriculum development and relevant pedagogies, developing connected curricular experiences across various experiences or grade levels, and mentoring educators who often teach both in and out of the classroom. This PLC will engage current program leaders for any grade levels K-12—including global directors, experiential education directors, and other relevant curriculum leaders—in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

What does competency-driven global curriculum look like across grade levels and schools? What are sample practices and pedagogical tools that teachers who work in predominantly experienced-based teaching and learning utilize in their work?
How might educators evaluate student development with regard to global competencies and global citizenship learning outcomes?
How do leaders of departments or programs collaborate with key stakeholders to improve current curriculum or to develop new courses, large-scale, or all-school programs?

Participants will explore GEBG resources and numerous school models, and will share their progress around their unique curriculum design goals and contexts. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers when possible.
Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development.

+ FORMAT: Four synchronous, one-hour virtual sessions
+ DATES: Virtual; Monthly; January – May 2025
Thursday, January 30, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Thursday, February 27, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Thursday, March 27, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Thursday, May 1, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
+ FACILITATOR: Sophie Paris, Director of the Institute for Global Education, Miss Porter’s School (CT, USA)
+ COST: $195/participant

Register Here

Global Competencies in the Visual and Performing Arts PLC (professional learning community)

The visual and performing arts provide a unique opportunity for students to explore their own identities and to engage with the beauty and complexities of the world around them—an ideal space in which to explore global themes and competencies. However, as educators, it can be challenging to understand exactly how to design curriculum and assignments toward fairly abstract competencies like “perspective-taking” or “intercultural communication,” particularly while simultaneously teaching discipline-specific techniques and content. This PLC will engage current educators and curriculum leaders in the visual and performing arts in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

What global competencies are best developed in visual and performing arts classrooms? 
What does competency-driven arts curriculum look like across grade levels and schools? 
How might teachers of visual and performing arts better integrate global competencies and/or content into their classes/programs?
How might arts educators evaluate student development with regard to global competencies and global citizenship learning outcomes? 

Participants will identify a particular lesson, unit, course, or program to (re-)design, and through dialogue with peers and exploration of GEBG resources and numerous school models, will move through a structured process of (re-)designing and sharing. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers—when possible. 

Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development. 

+ FORMAT: Four synchronous, one-hour virtual sessions
+ DATES: Virtual; Monthly; January – May 2025
Tuesday, January 28, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Tuesday, February 25, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Tuesday, April 8, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Tuesday, May 6, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European

+ FACILITATOR: Laurie Sales, Chair of Theatre and Dance, Groton School (MA, USA)
+ COST: $195/participant

Register Here

Leading through Partnership for Climate/Sustainability Initiatives in Schools PLC (professional learning community)

Leading Climate/Sustainability Initiatives in schools can be incredibly difficult work, particularly in terms of navigating limited resources and authority while often simultaneously teaching and fulfilling other responsibilities. This PLC will engage current leaders of climate/sustainability efforts in dialogue around the following questions, as well as any of their own:

What are some of the primary roles and responsibilities of leaders of climate/sustainability efforts in schools, and how can these leaders scale up their capacity over time?
What essential partnerships might leaders of climate/sustainability efforts prioritize in expanding their influence and impact over time?
What role can students play in reaching whole-school climate commitment?
How can leaders of this work develop long-term strategies for climate action planning and strategic prioritization?

Participants will explore GEBG resources and school models and will share their progress around their unique goals and contexts. Sessions will include some presentation, dialogue, resource-sharing, modeling, and guest speakers—when possible. 

Space is very limited in support of meaningful dialogue and cohort development. 

+ FORMAT: Four synchronous, one-hour virtual sessions
+ DATES:
Wednesday, January 29, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Wednesday, February 26, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Wednesday, April 2, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
Wednesday, April 30, 2024 from 9-10AM Pacific / 12-1PM Eastern / 6-7PM Central European
+ COST: $195/participant

Registration closed — contact info@gebg.org for more information.