NEWS THIS MONTH
It's Summer Work & Travel Season!
Summer welcomes many new participants to the U.S. through CIEE's Work & Travel USA program. Participants have been living, working, and experiencing American culture in cities across the country, including our very own global headquarters in Portland, Maine! CIEE staff were able to visit many program sites and shared these great photos with us:
This month, Work & Travel USA students celebrated J-Day, a nationwide day to celebrate and raise awareness of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) and the power of international exchange. Events are centered around the idea of "eat, play, and give," which is how our participants celebrated across the U.S. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, over 100 participants celebrated with free rides at Family Kingdom, each bringing a notebook or paper plates/cups to help Seacost Vineyard Church Outreach. There was also an event in Kennebunk, Maine where participants volunteered with the kids camp program hosted by the Kennebunk Recreation Department. To see photos and learn more about other J-Day celebrations across the country, visit the CIEE Work & Travel USA Facebook page.
On August 1-4, 62 fellows from 33 countries spent four action-packed days in Washington, D.C. at CIEE's Civic Leadership Summit. Every summer, selected participants from the Work & Travel USA program attend the summit's engaging workshops to learn about intercultural awareness, civics, and social entrepreneurship, all with the goal of helping participants discover how they can make a difference in their communities and the world. To summarize the experience, N'Dwayne of Jamaica said, "I know I have grown personally from the short 3 day sessions; I believe in myself more and I am going to step out into the world in a bold fashion.”
More CIEE Alumni Awarded Fulbright Grants
We heard from more alumni who have received awards to go abroad again through the Fulbright program. Congratulations to the following alums:
- Naa-Shorme Aidoo (Stellenbosch, South Africa, Fall 2012) - Fulbright ETA to South Africa
- Cristabella Trimble-Quiz (Taipei, Taiwan, Fall 2014 - Spring 2015) - Fulbright ETA to Taiwan
- Shimmy Gabbara (Amman, Jordan, Spring 2015) - Fulbright ETA to Turkey
- Alexandra Drexler (Legon, Ghana, Fall 2014) - Fulbright ETA to Germany
- Talia Dunyak (Amman, Jordan, Fall 2014) - Fulbright Combined Student Grant to Austria
Did you receive a Fulbright award for the upcoming year? We'd love to hear about it! Email us at alumni@ciee.org to share the news.
Go Further with CIEE Teach & TEFL
Did you have a great experience with CIEE Study Abroad or High School Abroad? Did you know that you can have another one? Teach abroad with CIEE in one of 11 exciting countries around the world. If you are a native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree, you can get paid to travel the world and build your resume. Take your experience further with CIEE’s TEFL Certification courses, which will teach you how to effectively impact your students’ lives. You will return home with a credential that validates your international experience for any career path!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Stay up-to-date with alumni events by:
Read about the last CIEE Local Chapter events on the blog.
ALUM OF THE MONTH
Our August Alum of the Month is CIEE Work & Travel USA alum Paul Runcan. Paul participated in Work & Travel USA back in 2014 and has returned as a participant this summer. On the blog, Paul shares a story with us about how he discovered a passion for politics by participating in the Civic Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. during his 2014 American summer. This month, we celebrate the completion of another successful Civic Leadership Summit in D.C. by sharing the story and motivational words of our Alum of the Month for August. Read Paul's story on the blog.
Do you have your own story to share? Email us: alumni@ciee.org.
ALUMNI VOICES
"I can say that America had a big influence on my life. I got back home with my suitcase full of dreams, positive vibes, new friends, and memories. The experience gave me confidence and the power to follow all my dreams. I learned to manage my time and money efficiently, and I improved my communication skills – my English is way better since working in the U.S. The most I think I learned was about myself. I learned to deal with daily problems and, at the same time, to enjoy every little moment in life." -Andrada Birla (Work & Travel USA 2014)
Read her story here!
@CIEEALUMNI
From left: The CIEE Alumni Summer Interns learn about building a personal brand with expert Katie Clark; interns based in our Boston office host a CIEE Alumni Boston Chapter happy hour at Legal Sea Foods; and CIEE Study Abroad Valparaíso alumni from the fall 2015 cohort meet up with friends for brunch in Washington, D.C.
On social media? So are we! Follow us on Twitter or Instagram @CIEEalumni, and join over 20,000 alumni on our LinkedIn group.
Don't forget to update your information to receive important communications and alumni news!
Interested in working with us at CIEE? Browse our open jobs.
