Creating a Sustainable Future through Global Learning
2023 EF Global Education Symposium
November 3-5, 2023 | Boston
Apply NowLearn from thought leaders in global education and network with peers
This November, join U.S. and Canadian educational leaders from the secondary and post-secondary spaces to engage with experts in the fields of sustainability and global competence. Discover how global-based learning encourages students to preserve our planet, protect our people, and promote peace, preparing them to become engaged global citizens.
Administrators working with students in grades 6-12 are eligible to apply to attend the 2023 EF Global Education Symposium. The scholarship includes a two-night stay, round-trip airfare, a day of inspiring workshops, one networking dinner, other select meals, and experiential learning exploring the city of Boston.
Title/position
Why are you interested in attending the EF Global Education Symposium, and what do you hope to gain from it?
The second part of the application process is an interview with an EF representative. What day(s) and time(s) are you available for an interview?
Your EF representative will reach out to confirm a specific day and time after submission of this portion of the application.*
Experience the EF Global Education Symposium
And earn professional learning hours while doing it
Engage with thought leaders
Hear from experts in the fields of global competence and sustainability and participate in interactive discussions.
Network across secondary & post-secondary education
Expand your professional network as you exchange ideas and collaborate with globally minded educators.
Experience hands-on cultural learning
Traverse both land and water on an iconic Duck Tour to learn about some of Boston’s most unique and historical landmarks.
Create an action plan
Determine next steps for bringing your experience back to your learning community.
Meet our keynote speaker
William Gaudelli, Ed.D. is the Dean of the College of Education at Lehigh University. With a career spanning 30 years as a classroom teacher, researcher, professor, and seasoned administrator, he is a prominent international scholar with research areas focusing on global citizenship education and teacher education and development. He has published over 85 scholarly pieces and four books, the most recent entitled Pedagogy of the Global Event.
Hear from Dr. Gaudelli
Program details
Friday, November 3
Arrive in Boston
5:00–6:30pmWelcome reception at EF Center Boston
Saturday, November 4
7:00–7:45amBreakfast (included)
8:00–9:15amWelcome and keynote
William Gaudelli, Ed.D. – Dean of the College of Education, Lehigh University, Global Citizenship Education at a Turning Point
As the world encounters new challenges—waning globalization, rising autocracy, climate change, AI, and economic distress—the time for educational change is now. What is that change? And how will it take shape in schools, communities, and for students? This talk focuses on the future of teaching and learning in light of the global problems we confront.
9:40–10:30amChoose one session to attend
The Nobel Prize Museum, Creating a Learning Environment for a Sustainable Future
One aspect that distinguishes humans from other animals is our ability to create images of our future. We can imagine a better world for ourselves and generations to come, but how do we know what “better” is? How can we work with learners to create a common vision for a good future, a future that we want to take part in and play a role in forming? In this session, you will hear inspiring stories about the connection between the work of Nobel Laureates and the imagination of a better world. You will explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sharing reflections and insights that will provide a framework for use in your learning community.
Dr. David Wick, Associate Professor, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Caring for Self and Others for Global Program Learning and Sustainability
In this interactive session, we will explore the role of care in creating and facilitating meaningful and sustainable global learning experiences. The session will be grounded in research-based examples. Participants will then reflect on their experiences and together we will identify model practices we can use to promote care for self and others before, during, and after educational travel experiences. Participants will leave the session with model practices that they can adapt to create a caring community with their program participants and host partners and sustainably enhance student growth and development.
World Savvy Developing Global Citizens - Designing Sustainable School Communities
This session will introduce what global competence is and how it can be used to transform learning environments so that all students graduate with the skills and dispositions they need to thrive in a diverse, complex, and interconnected world. Using UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 as our guide, participants will engage in an inquiry process that asks them to think deeply about how to create sustainable school communities that meet the needs of ALL students and adequately prepare them for life in the 21st century. Participants will collaborate with their peers to consider the perspectives of all their stakeholders—students, educators, school leaders, and families/caregivers—and imagine the systems and practices that could center global competence throughout their community.
10:40–11:30amChoose one session to attend
The Nobel Prize Museum, Creating a Learning Environment for a Sustainable Future
One aspect that distinguishes humans from other animals is our ability to create images of our future. We can imagine a better world for ourselves and generations to come, but how do we know what “better” is? How can we work with learners to create a common vision for a good future, a future that we want to take part in and play a role in forming? In this session, you will hear inspiring stories about the connection between the work of Nobel Laureates and the imagination of a better world. You will explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sharing reflections and insights that will provide a framework for use in your learning community.
Dr. David Wick, Associate Professor, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Caring for Self and Others for Global Program Learning and Sustainability
In this interactive session, we will explore the role of care in creating and facilitating meaningful and sustainable global learning experiences. The session will be grounded in research-based examples. Participants will then reflect on their experiences and together we will identify model practices we can use to promote care for self and others before, during, and after educational travel experiences. Participants will leave the session with model practices that they can adapt to create a caring community with their program participants and host partners and sustainably enhance student growth and development.
World Savvy Developing Global Citizens - Designing Sustainable School Communities
This session will introduce what global competence is and how it can be used to transform learning environments so that all students graduate with the skills and dispositions they need to thrive in a diverse, complex, and interconnected world. Using UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 as our guide, participants will engage in an inquiry process that asks them to think deeply about how to create sustainable school communities that meet the needs of ALL students and adequately prepare them for life in the 21st century. Participants will collaborate with their peers to consider the perspectives of all their stakeholders—students, educators, school leaders, and families/caregivers—and imagine the systems and practices that could center global competence throughout their community.
11:40am–12:30pm Live performance, The Anne Frank Center
Letters from Anne and Martin: One play. Two voices. A boundless hope for humanity
As we consider the importance of promoting peace and protecting people as part of a sustainable future, we invite you to experience Letters from Anne and Martin, a dramatic presentation drawn from the writings of Anne Frank and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This unique adaptation combines their iconic words and examines their parallel experiences living in the shadow of hatred and prejudice in different decades, on different sides of the globe, but within the same generation….
12:40–1:30pmLunch (included) and student-led tours of The Anne Frank Center Traveling Exhibit
1:40–2:30pm Panel discussion, district leaders from Georgia, Colorado, and Texas
Travel-Based Learning for Students and Teachers: District Approaches to Equity of Access and Long-Term Sustainability
We live in an increasingly interconnected world that requires students to embody critical skills like problem-solving, resilience, confidence, and adaptability to be prepared for their futures. In this session, learn about three districts’ unique approaches to using immersive travel-based learning to power students’ development of these skills, provide relevant professional learning for their educators, and foster more meaningful relationships between students and teachers. Hear what current research says about the impact of educational travel on students’ future-readiness, school engagement, test scores, and graduation rates and how these districts are prioritizing equity of access and long-term sustainability to create lasting, life-changing programs that educate the whole child.
2:40–3:15pmReflection and Next Steps for Your Learning Community
3:30–5:00pmExplore the city of Boston on an iconic Duck Tour (included)
5:30–7:30pmNetworking dinners in Boston (included)
EF is your partner in educational travel
EF tours amplify the lessons educators teach in the classroom by enabling hands-on, real-world experiences that open the minds of students and help them become more well-rounded. Each student emerges from tour with a G²PA comprised of our research-backed, travel-based learning outcomes that cover the full spectrum of social-emotional learning.
We’re accredited by six prestigious educational associations
What are you waiting for?
Join us in Boston and discover how you can transform students into global citizens.