Education is critical to cultural competency, but book knowledge is just the first step. True understanding comes from deep engagement, not only with other cultures but also with one’s own.

In the interest of that philosophy, we’ve established long-term partnerships with local school districts, private schools, universities and colleges to promote a variety of international educational initiatives. Designed to bring another dimension to classroom instruction, these programs are focused on experiential, leadership-oriented approaches and include:

• On-campus programming
• Fort Worth Youth International leadership organization
• Local and international community service projects
• Virtual and face-to-face exchanges
• Support of Yamagata Emerging Leader and Harashin Scholars
• Culturally focused protocol training
• Annual International Leadership Academy (ILA) and Jr. ILA

For many of these programs, we partner with established organizations and individuals such as:

• Congressional Office for International Leadership: Sponsored by the U.S. Congress, COIL fosters meaningful engagement between current and future leaders from post-Soviet countries and their American counterparts.
• Global Academic Fellows: Based in local public and private schools, as well as youth oriented organizations, these experienced educators engage their student bodies to further their international learning through many established sister city programs.
• World Learning: An organization strongly aligned with our own goals, World Learning offers students an experiential approach to global education.

Who is eligible?

• All educators interested in promoting intercultural understanding and learning new ways to incorporate a global perspective into their teaching
• University professors with an international focus
• All interested students