Reconnect, Recenter, and Reimagine

Each year, World Leadership School runs life- and career-changing travel programs for educators, which allow them to be students again and reimagine their practice. Our educator programs include working with local NGOs, interviews with local leaders, and an active and open investigation into local cultures. Along the way, we leverage the group’s wisdom and experience for deep reflections around personal and professional growth.

These programs allow educators to reconnect, recenter, and reimagine. Educators reconnect with their original passion for teaching; they recenter themselves in a supportive and safe community of educators; and they reimagine their teaching practice through World Leadership School’s suite of Purpose Learning tools.

In the summer of 2024, we are offering an 8-day program for educators in the Sacred Valley of Peru (June 23 – 30, 2024). World Leadership School also runs individualized Educator Development programs for schools interested in sending a larger team to re-envision global learning or work on a specific school change initiative.

Upcoming Programs

Sacred Valley Peru

June 23 – 30, 2024

Program Overview:

WLS is THRILLED to return to Peru for our Summer 2024 educator travel program, which originally ran in 2017 & 2018! This program is open to all educators with a flair for adventure and a curiosity to connect with our incredible community partners. Participants will spend time immersed in Peruvian culture, connecting with local educators and other purpose-driven individuals.

Of course, there will also be time to explore some of Peru’s most well-known destinations including Ollantaytambo’s Sun Temple, Machu Picchu, Cusco and more.

*Spanish language proficiency is encouraged, but not required.

For more detailed program information, please click HERE.

Questions? Email jessica@worldleadershipschool.com

Past Programs

Immersive Culture and Sustainability Study in Belize

June 24 - July 1, 2023

Program Overview:

Twelve educators from around the United States converged in Belize during the summer of 2023 for an incredible experience! At the beginning of the program, the group traveled to Belize’s mountainous region to explore the natural environment and connect with a local elementary school. Mornings were spent hiking to the ancient Mayan ruins of Xunantunich and exploring the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave, where we experienced an ancient Mayan sacrificial site with skulls, pots, and ceremonial altars virtually untouched for centuries. During this phase of the program, afternoons were spent at a local school and working in collaboration with local teachers on curriculum exchange and development. The connections and fellowship established during this phase of the program were mutually energizing and beneficial!

For the last few days, hopped aboard a motor boat for Tobacco Caye, an incredible sandy island located directly on Belize’s barrier reef system. We stayed in beachside bungalows that provided easy access to snorkeling throughout the day, exploring local mangrove forests, and enjoying the gorgeous island scenery. We also visited the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute research station on nearby Carrie Bow Cay.

Finally, the group took a boat back to the mainland and to the coastal town of Dangriga. From here we caught a charter bus to Belize City for our final evening at the Tropical Education Center and a night tour at the Belize Zoo.

The immersive experience was an amazing opportunity to connect with other educators and to the beautiful, rich culture of Belize!

“With WLS in Belize, I was able to learn about a country that I knew very little about, and have unique and genuine cultural and professional experiences that helped me to understand it better. The program is designed for those that seek a travel and professional experience rather than a tourist experience, and to learn about the country from local people and organizations.“ Faculty, The Collegiate School (Richmond, Virginia)

Jennie Willens

Director of Lower Elementary

Echo Horizon School

Why I came: After many positive experiences with World Leadership School, I was incredibly excited to have an opportunity to join the Educator’s Travel Trip in Belize! As someone who seeks out PD for myself and the educators on my team, it is very rare to see such an exciting and intentional offering for teachers.

Advice for Future Participants: Arrive with as much of an open heart and mind as possible! We had an extraordinary group of educators on the Belize 2023 trip. It was inspiring and motivating to be amongst a group of educators who showed up with incredible bravery, grace, and willingness to try new things. Together, we truly tackled every moment of the experience with joy, humor, and attention to each other!

Immigration and Border Studies in El Paso

July 7th-12th 2022

Program Overview:

In this program, educators take a deep dive into the US-Mexico border and explore themes around migration and borders. Over the course of five days, we will collect data, interview experts, and reflect on the realities we are witnessing. We will visit the wall, see a federal immigration hearing, talk to a probate judge, hear from the US Border Patrol, learn from NGOs, and talk to migrant families who live through this complicated issue every day. Using World Leadership School’s Purpose Learning planners, we will develop new curriculum in order to teach migration and borders in more powerful and humanizing ways.

“When I got the announcement about this program, I applied immediately. To be “on the ground” and meet with people working on immigration/border issues and people impacted by the policies/laws was incredible. I knew immigration was a complicated, “messy” issue. And now I really understand why. I ask my students to be comfortable with complexity every day and this program pushed me to do the same. “ Beth Yavenditti, Director of Global Education at St. Luke’s School

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Purpose Learning and the UN Sustainable Development Goals on the Eastern Shore

August 5th-10th, 2022

Program Overview:

Educators will use the Eastern Shore as a lens for exploring the complex relationships between land and people in this thin ocean peninsula that was colonized by Europeans more than four centuries ago. We will study marine ecology at Horn Point Laboratory, kayak in the Chesapeake Bay, and head out on an oyster boat. We will hear from social justice leaders, understand the local legacy of slavery, and see the marshes where Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom.

Throughout the program, we will use the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for exploring connections to both the land and the people of the Eastern Shore. Using World Leadership School’s suite of Purpose Learning tools, we will develop a curriculum that explores the balance between sustaining the Eastern Shore’s fragile ecosystems and its diverse human communities. This program includes a virtual session before and after the travel experience.

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