AFS IEW 2026 _ Session line-up (F) copy

November 16-20, 2026

Join us in celebrating International Education Week! AFS is hosting a week-long webinar series celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. Join our free webinars to:

  • Enhance your global competence
  • Explore diverse and relevant topics
  • Engage in networking and professional development
  • Support international education
  • Earn a digital badge to certify your attendance and active participation

Join Our Webinars

November 16, 2026 at 9 AM ET

Global goals require global allies. Join multisector leaders as we explore how international education and exchange can meet today’s defining challenges—from AI and climate change to gender equity and storytelling. Featuring unique insights from key experts, this interactive panel will delve into provocative questions surrounding post-colonialism, youth co-design, and the transformative power of global citizenship to build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Speakers:

  • Chris Arnold (Made Impact)
  • Kate Landon (Ban Ki-moon Foundation)
  • Daniel Obst (AFS Intercultural Programs)
  • Linda Stuart (AFS Intercultural Programs)
  • Yeseul Bai (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 16, 2026 at 12 PM ET

Artificial Intelligence is not only changing how young people learn, but what they are able to create, solve, and do. As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating information, solving problems, and completing tasks, education faces a fundamental question: what should we be teaching young people to do themselves with the assistance of AI? Join an engaging panel discussion exploring how education can evolve in an AI-shaped world. We will explore whether AI can become a tool that amplifies young people’s creativity, critical thinking, and agency – instead of replacing them – and what educators, youth organizations, institutions and young people themselves can do to shape the future of learning.

Speakers:

  • Allegra Cuomo
  • Dino Osmanagic
  • Gunay Bayramova
  • John Ofori
  • Eleni Nanaj (AFS Intercultural Programs)
  • Facundo Méndez (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 17, 2026 at 9 AM ET

Join us in a dialogue with global educators from diverse teaching backgrounds as they explore practical ways to foster Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in their classrooms and unique contexts. Fostering global perspectives shouldn’t feel overwhelming or rigid; rather than forcing generic models, our panelists will share real-world practices, address everyday classroom challenges and local realities, and demonstrate how to adapt global learning to fit your unique context. You’ll gain practical, transferable strategies and actionable insights to make GCE approachable, manageable, and impactful in your daily teaching practice.

Speakers:

  • Joy Usomimeh Ameh (Educator from Nigeria)
  • Jhon A. Pando (Educator from Peru)
  • Rawan Saqfalhett (Educator from Palestine)
  • Claudia Rojas (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 17, 2026 at 12 PM ET

Picture this: In a clinic, a doctor needs to share a diagnosis and notes that their patient is from another country. The provider pauses, wondering, ‘What cultural factors might I need to consider so that this conversation goes as well as possible?’

Navigating cultural ambiguity in medicine and research requires more than technical skills; it necessitates an ongoing commitment to practicing global competence whether one is in the research lab or the clinic. When our own cultural lens goes unrecognized, it can quietly hinder effective communication and team performance. Fostering continuous intercultural growth equips professionals to facilitate cultural dynamics effectively, resulting in stronger domestic and global team synergy and better healthcare delivery for diverse populations.

Hear from a panel of experts on training, educating and equipping medical and research professionals with the resources needed to build a workplace environment that serves global talent and teams and navigates the multi-layered complexities of global competence and patient care.

Speakers:

  • Jim Trelstad-Porter (The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota)
  • Beth West (Nuvance Health)
  • Molly Stern (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 18, 2026 at 8 am ET

Interculturalists Darla Deardorff & Raffaela Iuliano recently co-authored the UNESCO publication More than Welcome, highlighting the unique role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have when they serve as catalysts for inclusion by fostering intercultural competence, addressing discrimination, and creating spaces of belonging. Join us for an in-depth discussion on the framework for intercultural integration with intercultural competence at its core.

Speakers:
  • Dr. Darla K. Deardorff (UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competence, Stellenbosch University)
  • Raffaela Iuliano (UNESCO, Intercultural Leadership Program)
  • Linda Stuart (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 18, 2025 at 12 PM ET

Students today are necessarily affected by a variety of topics related to wars, political violence, social divisions, climate change, AI, the economy, geopolitics and many other dividing issues that can affect their growth as well as their relationships. What happens when we enable spaces for students to discuss those uncomfortable topics in a healthy and constructive manner? What does it take to get students to own those conversations and how can schools and universities be prepared to navigate potentially difficult dynamics in dialogue?

This interactive webinar will share experiences from 4 different institutions that have implemented dialogue as part of their curriculum, in partnership with Soliya, a lead implementer of Virtual Exchange.

Speakers:
  • Laura Strohminger (Semester at Sea)
  • Sarah R Lemelin (Oakland Community College)
  • Jim Bensley (Northwestern Michigan College)
  • Heba Abdelaziz (Soliya Facilitator, UK/Egypt)
  • Rafael Tyszblat (Soliya)
Register now
November 19, 2026 at 8 AM ET

How do we know if international education programs truly deliver on their promise to develop informed, empathic, and effective global citizens? Join us during International Education Week for an insightful panel discussion as we introduce the new Active Global Citizenship Assessment Questionnaire, a pre- and post-program self-assessment tool designed to measure participant growth and program effectiveness towards key learning outcomes in global citizenship. Following the overview, a panel of leading international education practitioners and learning assessment experts will discuss practical applications, research insights, and how tools like this one can demonstrate the impact of international education experiences.

Speakers:
  • Martyn Barrett (University of Surrey)
  • Amelia Dietrich (Forum on Education Abroad)
  • Mirka Martell (Institute of International Education)
  • Clare Sisisky (Institute for Global Learning)
  • Eloise Dolan (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 19, 2026 at 12 PM ET

What happens when we stop trying to improve education within the same systems and structures we’ve always used and start imagining different ones? This panel brings together leaders connected to the Global Mentorship Initiative (GMI) and Global Respectful Disruption Summit (GRDS) to explore how innovative frameworks, emerging technologies, mentorship, and unexpected cross-sector partnerships can challenge traditional approaches to education and expand what is possible. Through examples from across nonprofit, private, and traditional education spaces, the conversation will examine what it takes to move beyond innovation as an idea and use it to create meaningful, sustainable change.

Speakers:
  • Jon Browning (Global Mentorship Initiative)
  • Dr. Christina “Chris” Thompson (COMPEAR Global Education Network)
  • Pablo Cornejo (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
November 20, 2026 at 9 AM ET

A presentation of the different use-cases and expected outcomes of leading Mentorship programs in traditional, non-traditional and virtual education, followed by a panel discussion about best-practices for the development of these mentor programs.

Speakers:
  • Neha Bahl (IC3 Institute)
  • Sara-Lee Ramsawak (New York University)
  • Maryam Zoweil (AFS Global STEM Alumna & Facilitator)
  • Iker Landeros (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register Now

November 20, 2026 at 12 PM ET

Join us in a dialogue with Dr. Tony Hudson, a nationally recognized expert in racial equity, organizational change leadership, and collaborative culture transformation. He is the president and founder of Racially Conscious Collaboration™ and has spent more than twenty years helping leaders, teams, and organizations build the capacity for healthy cross-racial dialogue, stronger collaboration, and sustained systemic change. He’ll discuss his new book “ Since Racism Won’t Stop, We Won’t Stop. A Practice of Healthy Dialogue and Action with Racially Conscious Collaboration.

Speakers:
  • Dr. Tony Hudson (Racially Conscious)
  • Brian Bright (AFS Intercultural Programs)
Register now
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Find your People: AFS's IEW Global Connections Workshop

November 18, 2026 at 11 AM et

Looking to expand your network, exchange ideas, and discover new opportunities?
Join AFS for an interactive networking experience where you’ll meet people from different backgrounds, discover shared interests, and exchange perspectives on global topics, education, careers, and opportunities. Through rounds of small-group conversations, you’ll have the chance to explore new ideas, share experiences, learn from others, and build meaningful connections beyond your usual circles. Inspired by AFS’s mission to foster intercultural understanding, this session offers a taste of how connecting across cultures can open doors to new perspectives, collaborations, and possibilities. We’ll also introduce ways to continue connecting, learning, and getting involved through AFS’s global network and programs.

Come curious, leave connected, and find your people!

Register now

Reconnect, Share and Explore: Introducing the AFS Global Alumni Community

November 19, 2026 at 11 AM et

The AFS Global Alumni Community is the official worldwide network for everyone who has been part of an AFS experience, including alumni of our virtual and in-person programs, host families, volunteers, and staff. Join this session to discover how the community works, learn about the Global Alumni Newsletter, reconnect with fellow AFSers around the world, and find ways to get involved, whether your AFS experience was five or fifty years ago!

Register now