Institute for International Education Diplomacy
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A Training Program Presented by the
Association for Childhood Education International
International Education Diplomacy is an emerging concept that helps education professionals bridge the divide between interpersonal, intercultural, cross-disciplinary, and often cross-political discourse and engage in a deeper level of knowledge sharing about education systems and practices worldwide. Ultimately, education diplomacy helps educators to understand their role in advancing education globally.
In an increasingly interconnected world, it is critical to acquire skills that advance sustainable solutions for global education challenges. The education, development, and well-being of children have a profound impact on the social and economic trajectory of all nations. International Education Diplomacy, therefore, is a vital tool in global development.
Engagement in international relations at any level requires a sensitive balance of skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Educators who wish to share the value of education among the international community should be well-versed in the skills of diplomacy in order to achieve positive results by building positive relationships.
View a photographic memoir of the 2011 Institute here.
Price for the 2013 Institute is not yet set.
For more information send an e-mail inquiry to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 800-423-3563 or +1-301-570-2111
Promoting peace and prosperity, advancing potential
Program
The Program Helps Participants To:
- Understand the global education movements that serve as the foundation for advocacy and reform.
- Explore core knowledge areas of international education diplomacy, including international relations, human rights, international development, and international education policy.
- Understand their role in supporting practices and approaches that are developmentally and culturally appropriate in both informal and formal education settings.
- Describe the economic and social benefits of educating children.
- Engage skillfully in dialogue on education issues
Testimonials
"An opportunity to engage in an intensive, honest and constructive discussion about international issues that impact education. A formidable chance to learn about others and share your own experience on ways to become an educational diplomat."
Guylaine L. Richard, MD, MPH
President
RichardEtc, LLC
"Having now had the time to reflect on my participation at ACEI's first Institute for International Educational Diplomacy, I am in a better position to imagine myself as a 'Global Citizen.' In so doing, I feel priviledged to have had the opportunity, as an adult learner, to expand my knowledge of human rights, international development, relations, and diplomacy. This knowledge will broaden and deepen the context, in which I have been professionally engaged, and will translate into a heightened understanding and appreciation of what constitute, 'best practices.' "
Ruth Uhlmann, Early Childhood Specialist, Consultant
"ACEI's Institute for International Educational Diplomacy represented one of the best personal 'Professional Development Highlights.' The information provided and the experiences shared by the knowledgeable presenters were significantly important to anyone who works in early childhood education. It was an absolutely inspiring experience."
Dayana Garcia, Early Childhood Education Professional, Washington, DC
"The Institute for International Education Diplomacy (IIED) was an amazing experience. In many ways it was tougher than grad school. It offered an opportunity to explore the many facets of international education policy and how diplomacy is integral to global work. I am grateful to the staff, presenters and participants for all the work that went into the Institute."
Rachel Roberts, Early Childhood Professional, Washington DC
Past Presenter Biographies
Dan Driscoll
Dr. Dan Driscoll is an Associate Professor and Director of the Northern Virginia Center, The University of Virginia, Falls Church, VA. In this role, he manages the university's largest academic operation outside of its main campus in Charlottesville and is responsible for registrations, revenue, academic standards, and the financial performance of the center. He administers five graduate degrees, 16 certificate and endorsement programs, and several dozen professional development programs with annual student enrollments of 6,000. Dr. Driscoll supervises a staff of 27, including eight Program Directors and one Deputy Director.
Previously, Dr. Driscoll served as Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Social Foundations of Education program. In this position, he managed the university master's degree program for the Northern Virginia region, where he supervised adjunct professor faculty and administered 40 degree-eligible education graduate courses. He also served as adviser to 60 master's degree candidates.
Dr. Driscoll's current courses include the History of American Education, Social Foundations of Education, Global Education: Education For All, and Philosophy of Education, Schools, Society and Morality. He has a special interest in the human rights aspects of education as well as global education issues.
Gregory P. Loos
Dr. Loos has more than 35 years of human services experience in the areas of education and public health at the local, state, federal, and international levels as a practitioner, researcher, and administrator. His advanced training is in education (BA, MS, EdD), public health (MPH), and urban and regional planning.
Dr. Loos is recently retired from the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he headed the Basic Education Team from 2001-2011. In this position, he provided programmatic leadership and professional guidance to senior decision-makers in Washington and the field, coordinated with senior officials within the Executive Branch, and with members of Congress and senior Congressional staff; and his external contacts were with senior representatives of foreign federal and local public and private sectors, and international and multilateral organizations.
His prior employ was as a Supervisory Behavioral Health Specialist with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Division Chief for Family Health Services, and Mental Health Supervisor III, with the Hawaii State Department of Health; Resource Specialist for the Special Needs Branch of the Hawaii State Department of Education; Program Director and Associate Researcher for the Kamehameha Educational Research Institute; and Coordinator for Handicapped Services with Head Start of Kauai County. He has 14 years of classroom experience from preK-to-graduate school. As an academic, he was an assistant professor for international and community health with the University of Hawaii, School of Public Health, and with the accredited health program at East Stroudsburg University.
As a researcher, Dr. Loos conducted studies to eliminate outcome and service disparities among racial/ethnic groups, and different socio-economic, geographic, gender, age, and disability populations. An approach to cross-cultural research he developed was honored at the William Novelli First Annual Award for Innovation in Social Marketing in 1996. He has published and consulted extensively in the areas of child development, cross-cultural education and health, and program planning and evaluation.
Bonnie Miller
Ms. Bonnie Miller earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.S.W. in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Her professional experience includes 40 years as a social worker, psychotherapist, educator, consultant, social activist, and trainer. She has held teaching positions in Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology at universities throughout the world and trains diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute of the U. S. State Department.
Using her practical parenting manual, Communicating With Children, as well as her teacher manual, Connecting With Children in the Classroom, which have been translated into 12 languages, Ms. Miller has presented workshops to thousands of educators and mental health specialists in order to modernize education in the Balkans, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Over the past decade, Bonnie Miller has served as a consultant to many organizations to prevent child abuse and to help traumatized youth, refugees, and impoverished families, as well as women who have been forced into the sex trade. She was instrumental in launching a public awareness campaign against trafficking, helped to establish the first shelter for women in Greece, and wrote major parts of the Greek National Action Plan against trafficking.
In 2008 and 2010, Ms. Miller trained Georgian mental health professionals and educators who were working with recently displaced Georgian populations from South Ossetia after the brief war with Russia. She has also created training materials for Iraqi educators and social workers to help children and youth suffering from social and psychological problems and traveled to Iraq to train master trainers in 2009. In 2010, as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Kyrgyzstan, she taught Psychology at the American University of Central Asia as well as training mental health specialists who were aiding traumatized populations from the recent violence in the south of the country.
Since 2009, Ms. Miller has been teaching in the Masters in Social Work program at George Mason University and has taught in the graduate program of Peace and Conflict Resolution at American University in Washington, DC. She has also done crisis management and staff care work for a large international NGO based in Washington.
Thomas Miller
Dr. Thomas Miller was appointed President and CEO for the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) in September 2010, having served in a variety of major international governance, development, and diplomatic positions over his long and extensive career. He most notably has served as the U.S Ambassador to Greece as well as to Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his 29-year tenure with the Department of State, he has also held the titles of Special Cyprus Coordinator at the rank of Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission for Greece, Director of the Office of Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, and Director of the Office of North African Affairs. More recently, as Chief Executive Officer of Plan International in the United Kingdom, Dr. Miller led the 73-year-old, $750 million-a-year, non-profit for four years in its mission on behalf of children living in poverty in 49 countries. He later served as President and CEO of the United Nations Association of the USA, which helps connect the American people to the UN. Most recently, Dr. Miller served as Director of the Washington, DC, office of Independent Diplomat, managing that organization's South Sudan portfolio. A Midwesterner by background, Dr. Miller holds multiple degrees from the University of Michigan, including a Ph.D in Political Science (International Relations), two Master of Arts degrees (Southeast Asia Studies and Political Science), and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He has several honorary degrees, has taught courses in Diplomacy and International Organizations at George Mason University, and is the recipient of numerous honors and awards in diplomacy, governance, and international affairs. He and his wife of 41 years, Bonnie, live in Alexandria, Virginia, and have two children.
John Grayzel
Dr. John Grayzel is a professor at the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM), an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Maryland. CIDCM seeks to prevent and transform conflict, to understand the interplay between conflict and development, and to help societies create sustainable futures for themselves. Using the insights of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, CIDCM devises effective tools and pathways to constructive change. CIDCM prepares students with the theoretical frameworks and practical skills necessary to address critical global concerns. Dr. Grayzel holds a law degree from Stanford University and a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Oregon. He served for 25 years in the field of international development and conflict management, tackling senior Foreign Service assignments for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). His work took him to Africa, India, and the Philippines, among other places. He also served in the US Peace Corps. Dr. Grayzel currently holds the position of the Baha'i Chair for World Peace.
Joanna Kuebler
Joanna Kuebler is the U.S. director of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE-US). Prior to joining GCE-US, Kuebler spent a decade in public service, in both communications and policy fields. She was the communications director for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, a leading Congressional advocate for global fair trade policies as well as domestic and global health policies. She served as the communications director for Brown's successful 2006 Senate Campaign in Ohio and served as his press secretary in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her decade-long career in public service began in the Pennsylvania General Assembly where she focused on women's issues and communications. A native of Los Angeles, California, Kuebler is a graduate of Millersville University in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Gail Kettlewell
Dr. Kettlewell is Research Professor at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. She is currently Director, Development of the International Community College Town Center (ICCTC) System in Sierra Leone, a model she designed from over 35 years work with community colleges, and is a Principal, International Center for the Management of Education, Arts and Culture at Mason. She has been working in Sierra Leone and with many Diaspora individuals and groups since 2005.
She served as Principal Investigator for a Higher Education for Development/USAID grant with the University of Sierra Leone in 2009. Through the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Sierra Leone signed in 2008, she is authorized to develop the system and obtain the funding for the system and its work. Once established, she will remain as the technical advisor for the system and its colleges in Kono, Lunsar, Makeni, and Pujehun. In 2010 she received the Humanitarian Leadership award from NOSLINA, the National Organization of Sierra Leoneons in North America.
She has served as faculty member in English and Reading, director of learning resources, academic vice chancellor, and campus president at the community college level; Director, Doctor of Arts/Higher Education program in Community College Education at Mason; member of American Council on Education's Commission on Women and interviewer/mentor for their Fellows Program; consultant with the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Defense; consultant with the North Central and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; a member of various professional organizations, including the American Association of Community Colleges; President and member of community agency boards, including the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Rotary International as well as economic development councils. She is a member of Phi Beta Delta, Honor Society for International Scholars.
Community and economic development have been major areas of work through working one-on-one with businesses and agencies; working with economic development offices to bring new corporations and employment to the community; developing programs and grants with business/industry to provide qualified employees; providing basic education opportunities to prepare individuals for college-level study and employment; serving on local economic development councils; serving as consultant to city and workforce development comprehensive planning. She has received numerous awards for her community service.
Through the International Postsecondary Development Program she established at Mason, she served as Principal Investigator for a U.S. Department of State grant with the University of Montenegro to restructure the university's administration, curriculum, and international office in preparation for entry into the European Union. She has also served as a consultant to three universities in Brazil.
Her degrees were taken at Muskingum College, OH; Old Dominion University, VA; and the Doctorate at Virginia Tech.
She is married to the Rev. Charles Kettlewell and has three children and four grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
What is International Education Diplomacy?
International Education Diplomacy is an emerging concept that embodies the interpersonal, intercultural, cross-cultural, and often cross-political skills necessary to engage in a deeper level of discourse and knowledge sharing about education systems and practices worldwide.
Who should participate?
IIED is appropriate for students and seasoned professionals alike who have an interest in or may already be studying or working internationally either directly in the field of education or in a complimentary sector where knowledge of education systems in other countries is integral to advancing their work.
What will I learn?
You will explore the core knowledge areas of International Relations, Human Rights, International Development, and International Education Policy. Each learning strand is designed to expand upon a key element from one of these core areas while drawing connections to the other three. Your learning will be guided so that by the end of the Institute, you will:
- Understand the global education movements that serve as the foundation for advocacy and reform.
- Assess education practices and approaches that are developmentally and culturally appropriate in varied formal and informal education settings.
- Describe education’s impact on local and global development and, in particular, the economic and social benefits of educating children.
- Skillfully participate in, or facilitate, dialogue on a range of education issues, inspirationally and with sensitivity.
Who will be teaching the program?
Institute faculty will be skilled professionals who have worked in the education sector, or other relevant sectors, for many years. They will be selected based on their breadth of knowledge, their international experience and their achievements in their profession. Read past presenter biographies here.
Will there be a specific focus on childhood education?
Learning strands will certainly be extended to address global education issues pertaining to childhood, such as child rights and provision of universal primary education. However, these issues will be contextualized broadly enough so that knowledge and skills are easily transferred to other age groups and stages of learning.
What will I receive after I complete the IIED?
As proof of completion, all participants will receive a Certificate in International Education Diplomacy from the Association for Childhood Education International. Since this is a new concept developed by ACEI, it is a unique experience. A course in education diplomacy is currently only offered by ACEI.
Will I be able to receive credit?
No credit is currently being offered upon completion of the institute. However, if this status changes, we will update this information. On an individual basis, we would be pleased to provide the necessary information to your university. Universities are often willing to examine course content to determine whether independent study credit options are possible.
LOCATION and DAILY SCHEDULE
Where will the institute be held?
To be determined.
What is the daily schedule like?
The institute runs for 4-5 days.
Will all of my meals be provided during IIED?
No. Your registration fee covers some meals, some light refreshments, and any special events offered.
What is the general syllabus of the institute?
Sample Syllabus*:
DAY 1: Orientation, Introduction to Content
DAY 2: Human Rights and Education
DAY 3: International Education Policy
DAY 4: International Development and Education
DAY 5: International Relations and Diplomacy
OPTIONAL DAY 6: Field visit to an international organization.
*The syllabus is subject to change.
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