Expanding Access Together: A Worldwide Movement for Virtual Exchange & Digital Global Learning

Intercultural skills are superpowers that all young people need to succeed. Whether it is through an immersive study abroad program, a virtual exchange, or a well-designed digital global learning experience, learning and practicing intercultural skills give young people the ability to navigate the complexities of the world, live and work alongside others very different from themselves, and prepare for the global nature of today’s workplace.?

Modern learning modalities have transformed the international education and exchange fields and made it possible to truly open access to global learning for young people who statistically don’t participate in mobility-based learning. Connecting young people from around the world through virtual exchange and global learning programs is an effective, accessible, and meaningful way to learn about other cultures, gain workforce skills, and feel connected to the world, providing valuable global experiences without the constraints of travel. Virtual exchange and digital global learning are not alternatives to study abroad, but instead are other ways for education and exchange leaders to make global experiences more accessible for all young people.?

To showcase the power of virtual global learning, Podium Education and The Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute are uniting to increase adoption of virtual exchange in classrooms and youth serving organizations around the world — and your institution is invited to join the mission!?

We are seeing how digital global learning programs and virtual exchange are transforming the scope and scale at which global education can be implemented. The Institute of International Education’s Open Doors survey illustrates the strength and growth in the field. Since 2021, IIE has tracked student participation in online global experiences through Open Doors, highlighting the value of online global learning and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). However, this data doesn’t fully capture the scale of virtual exchange and digital global learning implementation, and we are committed to showcasing the true value of these programs through this partnership.?

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Ready to be part of this transformative journey to get young people involved in digital global learning and virtual exchange programs? Join the movement in five steps:

1. The Stevens Initiative offers several pathways to get involved with virtual exchange. Bring this immersive learning experience to the young people you serve by joining an existing program for free or share recruitment materials for programs young people in your community can participate in on their own time. You can also join the Podium Partner Network to bring The Global Career Accelerator to your institution.
2. Commit to understanding and utilizing the online, digital, and virtual options available through the international education providers you already collaborate with. Many organizations have built programs specifically designed to be delivered in a digital format that could open up the world to learners who otherwise would not have access.?
3. Create systems to capture and document existing online global learning / COIL activities on your campus. Many institutions are not fully aware of the activities taking place preventing them from understanding the full scope and global impact of digital programs at their institutions.
4. The Stevens Initiative provides capacity-building opportunities to educators, administrators, and education and exchange leaders reaching young people of all ages around the world. Its flagship training, the Virtual Exchange Academy, is an annual six-week training that teaches foundational elements of virtual exchange planning and implementation. You can also explore additional opportunities in the training hub.
5. Keep your Senior International Officer and leadership informed about these activities and include this data in your IIE Open Doors survey response. This will help advance the recognition and growth of digital global learning initiatives.

HOW WE CONTRIBUTE

Podium Education currently partners with 80+ universities including Georgetown University, University of Michigan and the University of Texas at Austin to expand access to intercultural learning through their Global Career Accelerator. The Accelerator is a fully-digital platform where students from 60+ countries collaborate on projects with top companies like Intel and charity: water while earning academic credit and gaining in-demand industry skills.

Podium works with its university partners to include the cost of the Accelerator in a student's tuition and fees. Because the program always runs for credit, students can oftentimes fulfill degree requirements on their path to a degree. Lastly, the program has zero prerequisites, meaning any student, regardless of majors, year of study or GPA, can participate.

Research demonstrates that cultivating social capital across socioeconomic and geographic boundaries significantly enhances social and economic mobility. For this reason, a central feature of the Accelerator is the collaborative engagement of students in twice weekly Global Live Labs where they solve real-world challenges for industry partners. Through these interactions, participants strengthen their networks, build social capital, and gain valuable professional experience.

Podium’s efforts have already shown success in increasing access to global learning and fostering social mobility: Over 40% of Global Career Accelerator students are Pell Grant eligible and more than 50% are first generation college students.

The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing the field of virtual exchange.

Now, more than ever, we must help future generations cultivate critical thinking and cultural fluency skills needed to be successful in our ever changing world. The Initiative is dedicated to generating the rising generations of global leaders virtually to build peace and prosperity.

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We hope you'll join us in this important mission!

Christine Shiau , Executive Director, Stevens Initiative

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Christopher Parrish , Co-founder & President, Podium Education