CIEE Global Navigator Program Leader
2027 Program Leader Application Now Open
Apply to Be a Program Leader
Help shape the global leaders of tomorrow. Experience a summer like no other.
We’re looking for experienced U.S. high school teachers, counselors, coaches, and global enthusiasts to lead high school students through unforgettable summer abroad experiences in 40 global locations.
What is a Program Leader?
A Program Leader safely guides a cohort of approximately 10–12 students within a larger program group. Each CIEE High School Summer Study Abroad program includes several cohorts, and each Program Leader supports and guides their assigned cohort while working as part of the broader program team.
Program Leaders mentor, guide, and support high school students as they navigate an unforgettable experience abroad. They foster a welcoming community, help students navigate homesickness and cultural differences, lead thoughtful conversations and reflection, and share their enthusiasm for the local culture and program. Along the way, they partner with local staff, support program activities and logistics, handle challenges as they arise, and lead group travel, ensuring students feel safe, supported, and inspired from start to finish.
Read more in the Program Leader job description.
What Will You Learn?
Serving as a Program Leader is a rewarding opportunity to grow professionally while making a lasting impact on students. You’ll develop your leadership and collaboration skills as you guide high schoolers through new experiences and work alongside instructors, colleagues, and international staff. As you explore a new city and immerse yourself in another culture, you’ll build resilience and adaptability while deepening your appreciation for the role you play in helping students discover the world through global education.
Role & Responsibilities
This Role Is a Strong Fit for Someone Who:
- Wants meaningful responsibility. You look forward to making a difference in students’ lives while building your leadership skills through real-world experience.
- Genuinely enjoys being around teenagers. You find satisfaction in mentoring, teaching, coaching, supporting, and spending significant time with young people, including during the less glamorous or more challenging moments of the experience.
- Builds strong relationships while maintaining clear boundaries. You can be approachable and supportive while also setting expectations, holding students accountable, and addressing challenging behavior when necessary.
- Communicates with empathy and professionalism. You listen well, navigate conflict thoughtfully, and communicate effectively with students, families, instructors, local staff, and colleagues.
- Uses sound judgment and stays calm under pressure. You assess situations, make thoughtful decisions, and respond professionally when circumstances are unexpected or challenging.
- Is adaptable, proactive, and resilient. You are comfortable with changing plans, take initiative when something needs to be addressed, and keep moving forward when the day doesn’t go as planned.
- Approaches people and cultures with humility and openness. You are curious about different perspectives and committed to creating an inclusive, respectful community.
- Is committed to youth development and global learning. You are not only interested in helping students have positive experiences abroad, but also in helping them become more independent, confident, culturally aware, and engaged with the world.
- Puts students first. Understands that being a Program Leader is a leadership responsibility—not a personal travel opportunity—and prioritizes students’ needs throughout the program.
What Does a Program Leader do?
Responsibilities vary depending on the site/center they are assigned to, but generally speaking, Program Leaders:
- Must lead group flights to and from their program destination (this is only for program leader based in the U.S.).
- Provide social and emotional support to their cohort, and communicate any participant’s health or safety concerns to local center staff.
- Support and guide participants during cultural activities and excursions, encouraging active participation, curiosity, and meaningful engagement with the local culture and community.
- Help participants process and reflect on their experiences through informal conversations and structured reflection designed to connect experiential learning to broader program goals.
- Take attendance each morning and evening, and during all program activities.
- Facilitate and grade Community Conversations weekly, helping students reflect on and discuss their experiences while connecting them to the program’s language and intercultural learning goals. (Language & Culture programs only.)
- Works cooperatively with an international team. Collaborates respectfully with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds and helps bridge cultural differences between students, staff, and local communities.
- Ensure students submit weekly Reflection Journals by marking them complete/incomplete and following up as needed. Review and grade participant Reflection Journals weekly using the provided rubrics, and provide feedback that supports students in reflecting on their language learning and personal growth.
What Makes the Role Worth It?
Program Leaders will:
- Develop real leadership experience.
- Earn Professional Development hours and a certificate at the end of the program.
- Strengthen communication and conflict-resolution skills.
- Practice decision-making under pressure.
- Gain experience working with adolescents.
- Develop cultural humility and intercultural communication skills.
- Work with an international team.
- Become more comfortable navigating unfamiliar environments.
- See students become more independent over the course of the program.
- Build relationships with colleagues from different backgrounds.
- Turn your love of travel into meaningful work by supporting students as they discover the world.
A Day in the Life
Below are sample schedules intended to illustrate a typical day in the life of a Program Leader. Schedules, activities, and responsibilities are subject to change and may vary from day to day based on program needs. These examples may not fully reflect the full extent of Program Leaders’ daily responsibilities.
| Language & Culture Programs | Topic Programs |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – Arrive at CIEE Center. Connect with co-program leaders and Program Assistants and prepare for the day. | 08:30 – Arrive at CIEE Center. Connect with co-program leaders and Program Assistants and prepare for the day. |
| 08:45 – Take attendance, follow up on absences/tardiness, review the day's schedule, and ensure students get to class. | 08:45 – Take attendance, follow up on absences/tardiness, review the day's schedule, and ensure students get to class. |
| 09:00 –11:45 – Meet with co-program leaders, debrief the previous day, complete incident reports, respond to messages, and handle administrative tasks. | 09:00–11:45 – Meet with co-program leaders, debrief the previous day, complete incident reports, respond to messages, and handle administrative tasks. |
| 11:45 – Check in with classroom instructors and gather updates for the day's activities. | 11:45 – Check in with classroom instructors and gather updates for the day's activities. |
| 12:00 – Facilitate Community Conversations; collect student submissions and follow up as needed. | 12:00 – Lunch |
| 13:00–14:00 – Lunch | 13:00 – Travel to a pre-shared meeting location, take attendance, and chaperone students to the afternoon activity. |
| 14:00–15:15 – Travel to the meeting location, take attendance, and chaperone students to the afternoon activity. | 14:00–17:00 – Oversee and actively participate in the cultural activity. |
| 15:15–17:00 – Oversee and actively participate in the cultural activity. | 17:00–18:00 – Escort students back to their hotel/hostel/dormitory. |
| 17:00–18:00 – Escort students back or ensure they know how to safely return to their homestays for dinner with their host families. | 18:00 – Return to your accommodation and take a dinner break. |
| 18:00 – Return to your accommodation and take a dinner break. | 19:00–22:00 – Check rooms, answer student questions via WhatsApp, and prepare for the next day. |
| 19:00–22:00 – Check in with students, answer questions, and prepare for the following day. |
Benefits
- Weekly pay scale, adjusted for seniority: 1st year: $400/week. 2nd year: $450/week. 3rd year and beyond: $500/week.
- Training and professional development: Receive live and virtual training in group management, intercultural learning, and experiential education, and earn PD hours for your participation.
- Referral program: Receive rewards for every student you refer who travels on any CIEE program or any colleague who is hired and travels as a Program Leader. Terms apply; contact programleaders@ciee.org for more information.
- Discounts for your family: Share a $500 discount with your own child on any CIEE Global Navigator program.
- Travel expenses covered: The Program Leader compensation package also includes a travel stipend to cover eligible expenses not already covered by the program location, such as meals, accommodations, and transportation.
General Information
Summer program dates vary by program but follow two sessions: Session 1 runs from early June through the end of June, and Session 2 runs from early July through the end of July. Programs are 3 or 4 weeks long, so Program Leaders working back-to-back sessions can expect a 6- or 8-week commitment. Exact dates vary by program. Visit individual program pages for this year’s dates.
CIEE High School Global Navigator Summer programs. Click here to learn more.
Program Leaders (PLs) play an important role in supporting and supervising students throughout the full program duration. This is not a traditional 9–5 position, and some PLs live in the same residence as the students.
Responsibilities include evening supervision, being available to respond to student needs or emergencies in person or by phone, and conducting room checks as part of the program’s residential policies. While PLs are not expected to work around the clock, they should be prepared to respond when situations arise outside of scheduled responsibilities.
PLs receive one full day off each week. Most PL teams create a rotating schedule for evening residential coverage so the team shares responsibilities and each PL has regular time off. The specific schedule and residential expectations may vary depending on the program location and housing arrangement.
It depends. We ask applicants to indicate their program preferences in the application, but final placement is based on a combination of factors including program needs, student enrollment, and the skills and experience of each Program Leader. Programs with higher student enrollment may require additional Program Leaders, so staffing needs can vary by location and year.
Our primary goal is to place each Program Leader where they can make the greatest impact and where their skills best meet participant needs. As a result, your interview location and final placement may not always align with your stated preferences.
Yes! Some Program Leaders choose to remain at the same location for both sessions, while others may work at different sites for each session.
Because the Program Leader role is demanding and requires a high level of responsibility, we generally prioritize the opportunity to work both sessions for returning Program Leaders who are already familiar with the role’s pace, expectations, and responsibilities. However, opportunities may also be available for new Program Leaders based on program needs.
If you are interested in working both sessions, be sure to indicate this in your application, even if you are a first-time Program Leader.
No. U.S.-based Program Leaders are expected to lead group flights with students to and from the U.S. before and after the program.
No. Visitors are not permitted to stay in CIEE housing or to accompany you during any part of the program. As a Program Leader, your responsibility and priority is to be fully available to CIEE participants and their needs.
Because Program Leaders work closely with minors and may have access to students in residential settings, maintaining student privacy and safety is essential. All Program Leaders are subject to required background checks and other screening procedures, and individuals who have not been approved and screened by CIEE cannot have access to program participants or residential spaces.
We understand that being away from family and friends for the duration of the program can be challenging, but this policy helps us maintain a safe, private, and supportive environment for all participants.
To maintain a fair and professional working environment, immediate family members cannot be on the same program. This includes spouses, domestic partners, siblings, parent-child relationships, and other close family members.
We receive over a thousand applications every year. We hire 400-700 Program Leaders to maintain our ideal participant-to-Program Leader ratio of approximately 12:1.
You must meet all onboarding requirements as outlined/requested by the CIEE HR team by the date requested. (This includes completing a background check and attending an I9 verification meeting.)
Yes. We accept candidates from a variety of backgrounds, and we don't require previous international travel or experience working on an international program. However, participants must have a valid passport and be legally able to work in the United States and travel internationally as the program requires. Please note that CIEE does not cover the cost of obtaining a passport.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, but the earlier you apply the better! If you are considered for a position, we will reach out to you to share next steps.
Compensation & Benefits
We offer a weekly pay scale, adjusted for PL seniority: 1st year: $400/week. 2nd year: $450/week. 3rd year and beyond: $500/week.
CIEE covers meals, flights, and accommodations, as well as program-related expenses like activity fees, public transportation, etc.
Yes. We enroll all U.S.-Based Program Leaders in the iNext Comprehensive Ultimate Plan.
Yes. All Program Leaders must have a current CPR certification. If you are not certified, you must complete a CPR course before you travel.
You will need a passport that remains valid for at least six months after the summer program ends. Depending on the destination and your citizenship, you may also need a visa or other entry documents.
When a visa is required for a Program Leader traveling on a U.S. passport, CIEE will generally cover the cost of the visa and provide applicable supporting documentation. For Program Leaders traveling on a non-U.S. passport, visa requirements and application processes can vary significantly by citizenship and destination. CIEE will work with you to determine what is required, although we may not always be able to provide all documentation needed for a visa application.
On-Program Experience FAQs
Students, international CIEE staff, instructors, college interns, other Program Leaders, and more.
Every Program Leader will receive one day off per week.
Post-Program FAQs
Yes! Program Leader applications typically open in September for the following summer.
Email programleaders@ciee.org to get contact information for the CIEE representative in your region or to request complimentary CIEE materials.
Program Leaders can earn 40–80 hours of professional development and receive a certificate of completion. The number of hours varies by program. CIEE issues certificates at the end of the summer.
You can begin making referrals once you are confirmed to participate in or have been hired for a CIEE Global Navigator program. At that point, your MyCIEE account will generate a unique referral link.
To refer, log in to your MyCIEE account and find the Referral Dashboard on your home page. Copy your unique referral link and share it with students, friends, or family members.
Yes! You can share your unique referral link with peers or colleagues so that they can become future global leaders just like you.
Contact Us
For questions or to schedule a call, email the Program Leader Team at programleaders@ciee.org.
CIEE provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, CIEE complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
CIEE expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of CIEE’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.
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