Better your understanding of CSIET membership benefits, resources, and the annual certification process! Meet with CSIET Staff and participate in live Q&A throughout the event, while networking with fellow attendees in the student programming community.

The CSIET membership experience includes a variety of resources and benefits that can help enhance your student program, but how can you best utilize them?

CSIET’s Director of Membership and Conference Programming, along with CSIET’s Director of Marketing and Communications, revealed an in-depth view of the benefits of CSIET Membership, including online resources and membership offers that can help strengthen programs and industry knowledge.

Participants were encouraged to present questions virtually to CSIET staff and take part in discussion with CSIET’s member community.

Speakers: Anna Damewood and Charissa Slack

New Members and New Program Staff: Joined CSIET’s Executive Director for guidance on navigating CSIET’s annual evaluation process! This session covered the important steps needed to become a certified program on CSIET’s Annual Advisory List, including:

– Annual Evaluation Process Timeline
– Application for Certification
– Evaluation Requirements for J-1 Programs
– Annual Compliance Audit for F-1 Programs

Be prepared for this year’s evaluation process. 

Speaker: Christopher B. Page

Grab a snack and beverage of choice, and join CSIET Staff and attendees to engage with each other during a fun and informative happy hour. Chat, laugh and get to know others in the International Student community! Pose relevant industry questions and even play fun games for a chance to win some fun prizes! We will be there until the end of the hour to meet you virtually and answer your questions. 

Speakers: Anna Damewood, Christopher B. Page, and Charissa Slack

CSIET  Training Process for New/Provisional Members

If your organization is a New/Provisionally certified organization (or a new program member), you have the opportunity to reduce the 2-year Provisional Certification requirement by one year by attending required sessions as a part of the CSIET Training Process.  Learn More.

Date: Thursday, October 28, 2021	COST: $50 (Members); $75 (Non-Members)
Sponsored By:			Taiwo O. Pitan, CPA

Representatives from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP), Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and The Alliance for International Exchange hosted sessions to inform and engage with CSIET community members. Speakers discussed timely and relevant topics for the student programming community, including SEVP F-1 Visa regulation, J-1 Exchange updates, and J-1 advocacy efforts.

Preceding the start of the Government & Advocacy: How Best to Engage event, CSIET Members attended the Membership Council Meeting to receive updates on CSIET initiatives and results of the election to the Board of Directors. See Agenda

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) provided an overview of relevant topics affecting F-1 international student programs at the high school level. Their presentation allowed programs and schools working in the F-1 programming community to better understand government regulation and SEVP expectations while engaging with experienced field representatives.

Speakers: Bridget Canty, Field Representative, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ron McPeak, Field Representative, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Engage with representatives from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Private Sector Exchange, who discussed the roles and responsibilities of the Offices of Private Sector Exchange Designation and Private Sector Exchange Program Administration, as well as updates and best practices in the Secondary School Student Program. Topics included the FBI fingerprinting; health, safety, and welfare; expectations for sponsors; reminders about reporting deadlines; and more useful content to keep all informed!

Speakers: Melinda Quigley, Program Analyst, Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Kyle Harrigan, Program Analyst, Office of Private Sector Exchange Program Administration (ECA/EC/OPA), Private Sector Exchange Directorate, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State

With their knowledge and experience from Washington, D.C., The Alliance focused on current policies affecting U.S. Department of State educational and cultural exchange programs, including updates on congressional and administration actions impacting educational and cultural exchanges. The Alliance discussed their meaningful advocacy efforts to promote and strengthen exchange programming and the J-1 high school student community and share their short-term policy projections.

Speaker: Ilir Zherka, Executive Director, Alliance for International Exchange

CSIET  Training Process for New/Provisional Members

If your organization is a New/Provisionally certified organization (or a new program member), you have the opportunity to reduce the 2-year Provisional Certification requirement by one year by attending required sessions as a part of the CSIET Training Process.  Learn More.

This virtual event is a continuation of the conversation started at CSIET’s conference in April 2021. In support of helping ensure safe, healthy, and life-changing experiences for our high school international exchange students, this virtual event is geared toward helping local coordinators identify challenges, sharpen skills and develop approaches to interacting with US secondary schools, host families and students.

The past two years have been challenging for international exchange programs. The number of J-1 High School students declined from 24,000 to 4,000 in 2020-2021. As programs and schools look to rebound from previous lows, US high schools are cautiously optimistic and are easing back into accepting exchange students. This session will explore current challenges as well emerging opportunities relative to recruitment and retention of host schools and host families.

Panelists representing the public school perspective will answer a series of questions related to discussion topic below. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask your own questions toward the end of the discussion.

Discussion Topic:

• Making the Case for Youth Exchange

Panelists:
Kim Kile, Director of School Counseling, Greenfield-Central High School, Greenfield, IN
Dr. Randy Mahlerwein, Area Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools, Arizona

Moderator:
Christopher B. Page, Executive Director, CSIET

This will be an interactive session. We encourage participants to turn cameras on and engage productively in the conversation. Discussion will draw on personal experiences relative to the following topics. Attendees will work in small groups to encourage interaction. Results from each break-out room will be reported back to the large group, and there will be an opportunity for general questions from the attendees.

Discussion Topics:

• • Recruiting (Safe) Host Families in Uncertain Times
  • Finding Fantastic Families
  • Engendering Global Awareness in Your Community.

Introduction:
Christopher B. Page, Executive Director, CSIET

Moderator:
Sam Scott, Educational and Volunteer Programs Manager, YFU

This session will include participation from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and will explore Local Coordinator/Area Representative practices for effective communications across the youth exchange life cycle. We encourage you to engage with speakers during Q&A!

Speakers:
Olga O’Neil, Program Analyst, Office of Private Sector Exchange Administration, State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
David Benze, Policy and Coordination Officer, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Private Sector Exchange Directorate

Additional Registration Information

Local coordinators are so important to the success of the J-1 program, which is why we are dedicating this virtual event entirely to program field staff. If you are a member looking to register multiple local coordinators, contact Anna Damewood (anna@csiet.org) for more registration options.

This Summit will bring together public and private school administrators as well as program staff to discuss the importance of hosting exchange students, overcoming program challenges, and implementing preferred practices to benefit international high school student programming in our schools. Included in this event will be Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  (DEI) related sessions. CSIET has a long history of advocating for enrollment of international students from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. We believe that international students equip schools with a concrete means to increase diversity and to teach global competence. Simply put, including different cultures, languages and customs is one of the most powerful tools we have to broaden minds.

Over the past several months, we have continued our work and developed CSIET’s new Collaborative Engagement Series. We are proud to dedicate our February 2022 event to several timely DEI related issues.

In our school communities, recent initiatives have focused on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as students navigate the consequences of a complex U.S. American history. Even within these important DEI initiatives and efforts, we often see international students’ unique circumstances overlooked as they enter a culture where they are often “raced” for the first time. 

This session will begin with a panel of four experienced leaders who will discuss how schools can include International Students within a DEI Framework. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend two panelist-led breakout sessions. Each panelist brings a unique perspective and expertise about the benefits and responsibilities of having international students in our school communities

Panelists:

• Dr. Melinda Bihn Ed.D, Head of School, French American International School, San Francisco, CA
• Dr. Marta Filip-Fouser Ed. D, Advanced Studies Director and History Chair, Brewster Academy, New Hampshire
• Dr. Pascal Losambe Ph.D, Diversity Consultant, Columbus Academy, Ohio/ Synergy Consulting Company
• Clare Sisisky, Executive Director, Global Education Benchmark Group

Breakout Sessions (Attend up to 2):

Teaching Cultural Intelligence lead by Pascal Losambe

Equip your school community with language on how to create a more inclusive environment for the international students. Language gives people a frame of reference. With this self-awareness, teachers and students alike are able to articulate and identify behavior and explain it in more detailed ways other than defiance or rudeness. Creating a cultural intelligence through language empowers your school community to improve cultural understanding.

Acknowledging Identity: International Students in the DEI Framework lead by Melinda Bihn

Devote time to understanding how international students experience schools and how school policies and practices support or undermine equity and inclusion for these learners who cross the world to study in the United States. When admitting international students, we must acknowledge their identities, accommodate their needs, and provide them with access to a full academic experience. Inclusion of international students within the DEI Framework deepens our understanding of the experiences of international students and invites us to examine the equity of our practices and the inclusiveness of our school communities.

Global Understanding: Fostering a Sense of Belonging lead by Marta Filip-Fouser

Discuss how to develop an international student’s sense of belonging by creating structural changes and experiences that give international students a feeling of psychological safety and physical stability. It will delve into the ideas of what it means to be an engaged global citizen and highlight ways to involve the greater school community with the intention of identifying shared experiences thus creating opportunities for better understanding.

Students & Schools: Building an Inclusive Community lead by Clare Sisisky

Many of the international student support systems currently in schools can be described as focused on an explicit or implicit goal of assimilation: asking the international student to adapt and adopt the cultural norms of the host community rather than expanding the diversity of the community itself. This session will discuss strategic guiding principles in support of international students and challenge schools to step back and draw on their DEI work, working to include—rather than assimilate—international students, and empowering them to contribute to schoolwide DEI learning.

International students study in U.S. schools to take part in the entirety of the high school experience, which includes academics, social gatherings, extracurricular activities, and of course, athletics! Inclusion in athletics offers these students the opportunity to connect with peers and immerse themselves in a new community. However, state athletics associations must also ensure that the experience is equitable for all students involved. 

Join a panel of State Athletic Association leaders who will discuss where athletics, international students, and state policy intersect. 

Panelists:

• Craig Anderson, Illinois High School Association, CSIET Board
• Mark Uyl, Michigan High School Athletic Association, CSIET Board
• Kerwin Urhahn, Missouri State High School Activities Association/NFHS, CSIET Board

Discussion topics will include:

• The importance of international students participating in athletics
• The ‘why’ behind International Student Athletic policies
• The legal ramifications of athletic policy
• Ensuring students are recruited for the right reasons

This global pandemic has challenged the strength of the international student community in many unforeseen ways. We are continually pivoting to create ways to bring our world closer together despite the necessity of physical distance. As we move forward, oftentimes with fewer resources and travel restrictions, schools must continue to recruit for the survival of their international student programs. Schools need to become creative in diversifying their applicant pools and starting new partnerships. Learn about CSIET resources that can help connect schools to vetted agencies and strategies that some schools have done to successfully continue to their international student program. The International Student Programming Summit dedicates a session to explore the tried and true strategies and creative approaches schools have used to overcome recruitment challenges during this difficult time. 

Moderator: Ioana Wheeler, Director of Global Initiatives, National Association of Independent Schools

Panelists: Jane Lacoste, International Program Director & Assistant Director of Admissions, Lake Ridge Academy
Andrew Garlinski, Head of Admissions, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School

Interested in getting involved with this virtual event? Contact Anna Damewood for more information (anna@csiet.org)

This event has been rescheduled and select sessions will be moved to our next event on May 12. Please check back for further updates.