NEWS THIS MONTH
Thank You For Supporting J-1 Visa Exchange Programs
Thank you to everyone who participated in the #SaveJ1 advocacy campaign last month by sharing photos of your J-1 experience on social media, sharing stories about why J-1 visa exchange programs matter, and calling your elected officials. Your voice was powerful in spreading the word about helping others see how important this program is for global diplomacy. In fact, this campaign, conducted by CIEE as a part of a larger advocacy effort by Americans for Cultural Exchange, has reached over 5.7 million people! Thank you for being a part of this amazing effort. As of now, the J-1 program has not been eliminated and CIEE will continue efforts to advocate for and protect this program. Follow us on social media @cieealumni for more updates on the outcome of this ongoing advocacy work.
Enter to Win A Free Destination TEFL Course
You’re going places. TEFL can help. Ready to go abroad again? CIEE Destination TEFL combines our 130-hour online TEFL Certification course with a 2 week practicum abroad in Barcelona, Rome, Bangkok, or Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Get certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language – a valuable credential to add to your resume and skill set to add to your back pocket – and then spend 2 weeks practicing your teaching skills and gaining work experience abroad. Plus, if you win, you could do all of this for FREE. Enter Now.
CIEE Study Abroad Alumnus Wins Emmy Award
CIEE Study Abroad alumnus and producer Jason Kane, who studied in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006, won an Emmy Award on October 5 for his work on the series "The End of AIDS?" - a six-part broadcast and digital series on worldwide efforts to lessen the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Keep your eye on the CIEE Alumni blog next month for an interview with Jason!
Alumni Meet in St. Petersburg for an Anniversary Celebration
Program faculty and staff, CIEE Study Abroad alumni, and current students recently commemorated the 50th anniversary of CIEE’s Study Center in St. Petersburg, Russia during a series of celebratory events in September. From watching a Russian ballet to experiencing famous opera arias at their own costume ball and learning how to dance the Russian folk dances, the weekend was packed with cultural events. During the opening reception at the Grand Hotel Europe, opening remarks were made by CIEE President & CEO Jim Pellow; Mary Kruger, 1969 and 1970 CIEE Study Abroad alumna and the former U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg (2005-2008); and Thomas Leary, the current U.S. Consul General in St. Petersburg. The anniversary celebration also featured a keynote presentation by John R. Beyrle ’76, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, as well as panel presentations with Britta Bjornlund ’88, branch chief, U.S. Department of State; Jill Dougherty ’69 ’71, former CNN correspondent and Moscow bureau chief; Mark Teeter, columnist at “The Moscow Times"; Eric Naiman, Professor of UC Berkeley and alumnus of 1978; and Larry Sherwin, Deputy Director of Communications at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and alumnus of 1975. Learn more about the anniversary, read the DW news feature, and hear alumni stories from St. Petersburg.
Scholarships, Fellowships, Awards, and More!
From supporting scholars to receiving awards, CIEE continues to show commitment to increasing access to international exchange opportunities and providing extraordinary experiences for people around the globe. Here are a few highlights of what CIEE has celebrated in recent months:
UPCOMING EVENTS
Stay up-to-date with alumni events by:
Read about the most recent CIEE Alumni Local Chapter events on the blog.
ALUM OF THE MONTH
The Alum of the Month for October is Alyssa O'Connor. Alyssa taught English in Chanthaburi, Thailand in 2013 to first, second, and third grade children through CIEE Teach Abroad. She is about to embark on her next journey abroad as a girls' health management project leader in Kenya, providing educational workshops and sanitary products to empower girls to make healthy decisions for their bodies. Read her story.
Do you have your own story to share? Email us: alumni@ciee.org.
ALUMNI VOICES
Excerpts from recently published alumni stories:
"This exchange experience has been life changing for us. It helped us be more independent and shaped our personalities for the better. We were able to take the good examples of the United States and bring and implement them in our country." -Guxim & Grese (CIEE Work & Travel USA, 2016)
"...I value travelling more than anything, it’s a great way to learn about the world you live in. There is no way they [university teachers] would teach you how people behave themselves in the U.S. and why they are always friendly... you have to go the country by yourself and figure it out. ONLY then you will be able to understand life in another country." -Nikita Bazhenov (CIEE High School USA 2012, CIEE Work & Travel USA 2017)
@CIEEALUMNI
From left: CIEE High School USA alumnus and current CIEE Work and Travel USA participant shares his adventures across America through vlogging; #SaveJ1 trends on social media as alumni and other supporters share photos from their experiences on exchange programs in the U.S.; alumni and guests show off their name tags at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the CIEE Study Center in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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.
