Travel Seminars for Teachers with Global Education Insights
Teachers, re-see your profession through a global lens this summer.
Introducing Travel Seminar for Teachers offered by Global Education Insights, a 501(c)(e) non-profit charity organization registered in New Jersey. The Travel Seminar for Teachers provides a unique professional development experience built around firsthand site visits to K-12 schools in other countries.
How does the travel seminar work?
In small, collaborative groups, seminar participants take part in a unique professional development experience while enjoying unique access to K-12 schools and universities in the Tokyo area. To support teacher growth in the school site visits, seminar participants attend a guest lecture, connect with Tokyo educator counterparts, and participate in seminar debrief sessions. The travel seminar is supported on the Japan side by a network of outstanding volunteer educators committed to global exchange and intercultural education.
In joining the Travel Seminar for Teachers, teacher participants are becoming part of a global educator network. As part of this network, seminar participants attend virtual/in-person orientation sessions leading up to the travel departure date. During the travel seminar schedule in Tokyo, the educator group is led by two experts in global education, Dr. Dan Aronoff and Dr. Bryan Meadows. The travel leaders are also available to support participant private excursions outside of the seminar schedule. Finally, participants can expect opportunities to maintain post-travel connections with the global professional network established by the seminar.
2025 Travel Seminar Group
Travel Dates (tentative): June 28 - July 7, 2025
Features of the Travel Seminar
Unique access to K-8 school sites in two different locations within Japan: Urban Tokyo and Suburban Tochigi
University site visit with opportunities to deliver guest talks to undergrad students
Frequent debrief sessions held informally with seminar leaders and fellow NJ educators
Personal time to explore the greater Tokyo area (destination suggestions provided)
Closing dinner to debrief and celebrate seminar accomplishments
Opportunities to expand professional network globally
Virtual group meetings leading up to June departure
Attend an upcoming virtual information session.
Follow this link or the QR code to register for an information session
2024 Travel Seminar an outstanding success!
The 2024 Travel Seminar cohort traveled to Japan July 6th to July 15th, 2024. While in Japan, the group made site visits to 5 different schools: 2 elementary schools, a middle school, and a university campus in urban Tokyo -- plus an elementary school in suburban Tochigi. In the months prior to departure, the group participated in a series of online seminar meetings for pre-travel briefings and discussion. While in Japan, group members made full use of personal time to visit Tokyo Disneyland, take a daytrip to historic Kyoto, enjoy Tokyo upscale shopping, and take in the Tokyo sites as part of a guided bus tour. See selected images from the trip below as well as site reports written by host schools (in Japanese).
What was it like to be on the 2024 Travel Seminar to Japan?
Enjoy the sample images and school reports below.
Would you like to request a personalized consultation with our seminar leaders?
Contact us here. We would love to connect with you.
Travel Seminars for Teachers are ideal for NJ educators who are...
new to the profession and exploring central questions such as What does quality education look like?
thinking about perennial challenges for public education and wondering what we could be doing differently as a profession
serving Multilingual Learner (ML) populations and wish to gain insights into what education looks like outside the United States
interested in gathering insights into how their subject area is taught in other parts of the world
interested in connecting with educators in very different educational settings in order to find what all educators share in common globally
interested in enriching their understanding of Japanese culture, language, and society through firsthand travel experience
ready to take advantage of the unique access to Tokyo K-8 schools and universities
What are the benefits of Travel Seminars for Teachers for NJ educators?
The goal of the travel seminar is to provide NJ public school educators with a unique global learning experience during the precious summer months. As a result of participating in the 8-9 day seminar, teachers come away with a robust professional development experience with short-term and long-term benefits.
In the short-term, teacher participants gain firsthand insights into how educational systems work in urban and suburban areas in Japan through school site visits and personal contact with counterpart educators (e.g., teachers, administrators, school staff). They also gain opportunities to process their professional learning in debrief sessions with fellow NJ colleague participants. In the short-term, such global experiences outside of New Jersey can lead K-12 teachers to discover new ideas for how we can do education at home.
In the long-term, the teacher reflection that the travel seminar engenders leads K-12 teachers to greater avenues of pedagogical effectiveness, greater capacity for student advocacy, and expanded sense of professional satisfaction as educators. What is more, participants become part of a global professional network which connects the individual NJ teacher with valuable colleagues locally and globally. This is because the Travel Seminar for Teachers global network is ongoing and maintained by the non-profit, Global Education Insights.
Testimonials: What are NJ teachers saying about the Travel Seminars?
Learning and being immersed in the Japanese school system has greatly impacted my teaching philosophy. After completing the program I was able to relate better to the Multilingual Learners in my classroom because I experienced what it felt like to be in a different country with a different culture, hearing a language I did not understand. We also had a lot of fun seeing the sights! I remain connected to the colleagues that I traveled with to this day both personally and professionally. I would highly recommend this program to new and veteran teachers alike!
-- Ayla Q. (K-5 ESL Teacher, NJ)
One of the fondest memories I have of the trip was when we had to face elementary school students in a fierce badminton match. Unfortunately, the U.S team had a poor performance. They annihilated us! During the school visits, I learned so much from the students. They taught me the value of teamwork and how each individual contribution was essential for the development of the entire class. As an educator, I use this philosophy in my classroom. I want my students to feel that their contribution is essential. This has been by far the most enriching experience I have had as an educator.
-- Kelly G (K-5 Special Education Teacher, NJ)
My favorite part, was being able to immerse ourselves in the various educational settings. We were truly able to open our eyes to a whole new perspective. I believe this is the root of traveling. We travel so we can open our eyes to so much more than we know, and that is such a beautiful thing. To say that it was an unforgettable experience is an understatement.
-- Kimberly P. (NJ Teacher)
What you take away from this trip can be applied to any school setting, as I’ve discussed this trip to my K-12 students in the past. I distinctly remember when we were observing an English class and we all sang a song by Stevie Wonder! It was joyous way to engage with students from Japan in that setting, as we all giggled at each other’s singing skills! You’ll have many memories to last a lifetime!
-- Yuki K. (NJ Teacher)
Travel Seminar Fees for 2025: $1,973USD
Important: Seminar fees do not include airfare to/from NYC - Tokyo.
What do the Seminar Fees cover?
8 nights in private room in Tokyo business hotel
Transportation within Tokyo area for travel seminar events
Airport transportation to/from hotel
Closing reception dinner event
Portion of group seminar expenses
Early Bird DISCOUNT (5%)
Bring a Buddy DISCOUNT (5%)
What is the seminar timeline?
March 3, 2025
Registration opens online
Complete $750 deposit to secure seminar spot
Early Bird Discount of 5% off seminar fees when completed by March 21, 2025.
Bring a Buddy Discount of 5% off seminar fees available.
March 21, 2025
Early Bird Discount window closes
April 7, 2025
Registration closes online for all
Regular deposit $750 due for all
May 2, 2025
Travel Seminar Fees of $1,973 DUE (minus deposit and any qualifying discounts)
Bring a Buddy Discount window closes
May 2025 (date TBD)
Online planning meeting #1
June 2025 (date TBD)
Online planning meeting #2
Online planning meeting #3 (pre-travel check)
June 28, 2025
Group departure date from Newark EWR airport
July 7, 2025
Return to Newark EWR airport
What is Global Education Insights?
Global Education Insights is a Non-Profit 501(formed in New Jersey to enrich K12 public education through unique global professional development experiences for NJ teachers. Global Education Insights is a non-profit, service venture led by two educators with 40 combined years of professional experience in higher-education and K-12 institutions. They also have 5 years of experience leading travel seminars to Tokyo. Global Education Insights works closely with local liaisons to develop and facilitate global travel experiences that leverage unique professional growth opportunities with economic value.
Introducing the Travel Seminar Leaders
Dan Aronoff (PsyD)
Bryan Meadows (PhD)
MAKE A DONATION TODAY in SUPPORT OF NJ TEACHERS
Global Education Insights is a 501 (c)(e) non-profit charity organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service and the New Jersey Division of Taxation as a public charity formed for educational purposes, consistent with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible.