Carol Jenkins is the CEO of World Learning Inc., which encompasses three distinct brands: The Experiment in International Living; School for International Training, which includes SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute; and the nonprofit global development and exchange unit World Learning. Jenkins also serves as president of the global development and exchange division, where she oversees programs in more than 30 countries. Jenkins has served in multiple positions at World Learning over more than a decade. She first joined in June 2007 as senior director of international programs after a 16-year career in humanitarian aid and development. She spent seven years at the organization, including three years as head of its International Development and Exchange. In 2014, after nearly a year working on business and program development for World Vision in East Africa, Jenkins returned to World Learning. Under Jenkins’s leadership, World Learning’s development portfolio has seen revenue increase by 14 percent with continued anticipated growth. She oversaw the merger of World Learning’s three development and exchange offices into one location, leveraging the assets of more than 100 staff members. She was named CEO in February 2018. Prior to joining World Learning, Jenkins was director of program development for International Medical Corps, where she managed a team of technical business development professionals to improve the quality of field programs and expand the coverage to project recipients. She also previously spent 12 years working for World Vision, including a period during which she was posted in Southern Africa. Jenkins holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Messiah College in Pennsylvania. She was a fellow at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at University of California, Los Angeles, in 2012 and a participant in the Leadership Program at the International Civil Society Center.  

Expertise: program management; program development; business development; humanitarian aid; food security

Lisa Posner Olocco brings almost three decades of international education and exchange experience to her position as vice president for the Exchange and Training Unit at World Learning. As divisional vice president, Posner Olocco oversees a multimillion-dollar budget and more than 100 DC and field-based staff who design and implement over 30 US government-funded training and exchange programs for thousands of high school youth, degree-seeking students, and professionals from hundreds of countries each year. During her career she has overseen several large U.S. Agency for International Development participant training development contracts and cooperative agreements worldwide. She is an expert in USAID’s participant training and capacity building and has managed several USAID Indefinite Quantity Contracts. In addition to her USAID experience, Posner Olocco oversees an extensive exchange portfolio including the U.S. Department of State’s hallmark International Visitor Leadership Program, Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program, Youth Ambassadors Program, and Future Leaders Exchange. Prior to joining World Learning, Posner Olocco worked at Meridian International and Delphi International implementing public diplomacy exchange programs. Posner Olocco is fluent in Spanish and has a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Boston University. Posner Olocco is an alumna to Spain with The Experiment in International Living.  

Expertise: educational exchanges; scholarship administration; project and personnel management

As Divisional Vice President of Professional Exchanges at World Learning, Dr. Patricia Harrison has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, intercultural programming, and adult education. She oversees nine grants and programs valued at $55M, including the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Alumni TIES, the U.S. Speaker Program, the Professional Fellows Program, and World Learning’s privately funded Professional Exchanges. Dr. Harrison came to World Learning with extensive experience collaborating with donor agencies, local and international organizations, and private-sector partners. Before moving to Washington, DC, she was the first executive director of Upstate International, a nonprofit devoted to intercultural understanding and immigrant integration in Greenville, South Carolina. In this role she worked together with multinational companies, local nonprofits, and a diverse group of community leaders to promote international and cultural diversity. With proven administrative, personnel, and project management skills, Dr. Harrison has designed effective programs grounded in experiential learning and adult learning styles, led program implementation with a focus on systems improvement, and incorporated new technologies to enhance the impact of exchange programs. Previous experience has included university-level teaching and freelance writing and academic editing. Dr. Harrison has a B.A. degree from Stanford University, M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an Executive Certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University. Dr. Harrison currently serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of Global Ties U.S.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; event management; grants management; virtual programming; project management

Christina Thomas is the Divisional Vice President for Youth Exchanges at World Learning. Christina oversees the World Learning’s multimillion-dollar U.S. and international youth exchange portfolio consisting of World Learning’s flagship program, the Experiment in International Living. The Exchange portfolio serves over 1,200 high school age U.S. and international students and adult educators and hires up to 150 program leaders annually. Programs focus on experiential learning, global issues, and youth leadership.

Christina also serves as the Board President of the Federation EIL providing member support in strategic planning, capacity building, and quality assurance. The Federation is a nonprofit association representing a global network of international educational program providers supporting 12 members around the globe who offer programs in volunteerism, group travel, language training, and study abroad.

Before joining World Learning in 2003, Christina taught English to junior and senior high school students and designed teacher training programs for Japanese English teachers on the Japan Teaching and Exchange Program (JET) for three years. Christina received her master's degree in international communications from the School of International Service with an emphasis on international education and management from American University in Washington, DC.

Expertise: youth exchange; youth development

Melissa Oppenheimer is the associate vice president for Global Programs. In that capacity she manages global exchange programs, as well as program monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Oppenheimer further provides oversight of the technical quality of international development business acquisition. Through a career of over a decade at World Learning, she has served in various program implementation and management roles for projects funded by the U.S. Department of State and USAID. Oppenheimer has also served as an assistant education advisor at the Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange between the U.S., Belgium, and Luxembourg. Earlier in her career, she was a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) at the U.S. Department of Education overseeing grants and acting as a liaison with state education officials. Following the completion of the PMF Program, she remained at the Department of Education, holding various analytical positions in budget policymaking and planning and evaluation in the Office of the Under Secretary. Oppenheimer holds a bachelor's degree in diplomacy and world affairs from Occidental College and a master's degree in Latin American studies from Georgetown University.

Expertise: academic exchanges; program management; business development; grants management

Rebecca Spotts is the director of Global Development Program Management, working with teams across practice areas to strengthen management systems, achieve program impact, and integrate a gender equity and social inclusion focus into all programs. Spotts has more than 15 of experience years managing large and complex projects in both domestic and international contexts, including fragile and conflict affected states. She has deep experience in designing and managing education, youth employment, civic engagement, and organizational development programs funded by USAID, U.S. Department of State, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps, and private foundations. Prior to her work at World Learning, Spotts worked on national education sector reform in Pakistan, studied the role of human rights education and peacebuilding in schooling, researched access to education for girls in rural Liberia, supported international networks to promote access to education in emergency settings, and supported national-level research in the U.S. to improve education and youth services. Throughout her career, Spotts has built the capacity of youth, communities, local organizations, and policy makers to strengthen their capacity to effective positive change and create more inclusive and equitable systems. She holds a master’s degree in international education development with focus on the intersection of education policy and gender from Teachers College, Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Expertise: program management; systems stregthening; gender equity and social inclusion; education and youth development; civil society strengthening

Leah Myers Bitat is deeply committed to exploring the applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) across learning and working environments to reduce barriers for participants of all abilities, backgrounds and identities. A native of Alaska currently practicing in Algeria, her areas of expertise include employment and vocational programs, teacher training, inclusive education, special education, and risk prevention. Following 15 years in serving the U.S. educational system as a teacher, teacher trainer, and special education administrator, she currently serves as both the country representative for World Learning in Algeria as well as the director of pedagogy and professional development at the Aures School in Algiers. In 10 years of work in Algeria Leah has led the expansion of World Learning's programs to nearly two-thirds of the country's provinces. Workforce development, English language, and STEM Education programs benefit nearly 1,000 participants across Algeria each year. Leah holds a master’s of education degree in prevention science and practice from Harvard University, a master's in educational leadership from Cumberland College, and a certificate of special education teaching and administration from Boston University.

Expertise: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Hamza Koudri is director of programs with World Learning, overseeing a portfolio of education and workforce development projects across Algeria. He has 13 years of experience in curriculum design, teacher training, and learning assessment, and has extensive experience expanding local institutions’ capacity to offer high-quality education and employment programs.

Koudri has created and led courses and projects for youth and educators across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the United States, and Korea. As a Humphrey Fellow (2015-2016) he helped to create a mentorship program in a social equity at Penn State University and a teacher training certificate program for Indiana University at Bloomington.
Koudri holds an MA in English literature and civilization and earned a TESOL certificate from SIT Graduate Institute in 2017.

Expertise: education quality, curriculum design, employment, youth workforce development, civic engagement

Dr. Wafa Kotob has been working in the field of education since 1987. She started as a school teacher, then worked as a school counselor, a teacher trainer, and a researcher in the field of education. In 2007, she was granted a PhD from the University of Manchester in the UK for her research on Theories of Change and Education Reform. In 2009, Dr. Kotob joined the field of development as the policy and planning specialist in the World Bank unit in the Ministry of Education in Lebanon, and later moved to UNICEF Lebanon as their senior education specialist. Between 2013 and 2016, Dr. Kotob was the chief of party for World Learning's Developing Rehabilitation Assistance to Schools and Teacher Improvement program II (D-RASATI-2), which was a USAID-funded, nationally focused project with an overarching goal to support the Ministry of Education as it improved the performance of the Lebanese public school system. Currently, Dr. Kotob is Chief of Party for the USAID funded Quality Instruction towards Access to Basic Education Improvement 2 (QITABI 2) project which is five-year program seeking to improve learning outcomes for all students in primary schools in Lebanon.

Expertise: education quality; education policy; teacher professional development; program management; system strengthening

Chantal Souaid Mchantaf is the Middle East and North Africa Director of the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) program implemented by World Learning in Lebanon. Mchantaf has a solid background in project management and an extensive work experience with local and international civil society organizations operating in the developmental field in Lebanon. Throughout her career and due to the challenging nature of work she has been involved in, Mchantaf succeeded in building a respectable network of connections with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Lebanese University, and many local and international nongovernmental organizations operating in Lebanon. Before joining World Learning, Mchantaf had been managing the USAID-funded Developing Rehabilitation Assistance to Schools and Teachers Improvement 2 (D-RASATI 2) program's Leadership Development Program, a stellar leadership program that helped over 600 Lebanese school principals get official tenure in the government. For several years, she has been involved in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Lebanon as the Cisco Entrepreneurship Institute Program Manager where she helps hundreds of entrepreneurs, start, grow, and IT-enable their businesses. Earlier in her career, Mchantaf helped manage the 10-year Transparency and Accountability Grants (TAG) program, a sub-USAID donor program that provided hundreds of grants to NGOs in Lebanon. Mchantaf holds a bachelor's degree in international affairs and diplomacy, and an MBA with an emphasis on projects and operations management. In addition, Mchantaf is a social media trainer who assisted several NGOs and companies build and expand efficiently their online presence as part of her own business.

Expertise: project management; education and training; adult learning; entrepreneurship; capacity building; social media; writing

Dr. Eva Kozma is the Senior Literacy Technical Director of USAID- funded Lebanon Quality Instruction Towards Access & Basic Education Improvement (QITABI2) project, implemented by World Learning with a consortium of local and international partners. Dr. Kozma is responsible for overall management, implementation, and oversight of the Grades 1- 6 literacy reading and writing programs in English, Arabic, and French languages. She also oversees the development and dissemination of literacy intervention materials, EGRA, CBA and Universal screening tools and reading benchmarks, teacher training, and coaching modules. Her experience includes leading technical dialogue on Literacy best practices and pedagogy with key stakeholders such as MEHE/ DOPS (Department of Orientation and Guidance) and Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD), providing technical insight on national literacy policies, and implementing interventions in the primary grades classroom. Eva also has extensive expertise in developing and advising on teaching methodologies, including experience mentoring and coaching classrooms to implement successful research-based literacy initiatives. Dr. Kozma contributed and supervised authoring literacy e-content for self-paced and Teachers material with SEL integration and formative assessment to support student learning continuity during COVID 19 school disruption. Dr. Kozma worked as a Component 1 Lead under QITABI (2015- 2019) lead by World Learning in Lebanon and contributed in designing and implementing the Early warning System (EWS) for struggling readers and also supervised all literacy material development and literacy activities implementation. She also contributed in analysing and reporting research findings and lessons learned from field studies in collaboration with M&E. Eva is a presenter of research findings from QITABI and QITABI 2 projects from field studies in the CIES prominent yearly conferences. Dr. Kozma earned her master's degree from the American University of Beirut and her PhD in reading attitudes in primary grades from Saint Joseph University in Beirut. She is an award-winning children's books author and loves to read to children and work with them in creative writing workshops.

Expertise: Arabic and English literacy; Arabic as a Second Language (ASL); teacher supervision and coaching; standard-based curriculum; differentiated instruction; formative assessment; understanding by backward design (UbD); educational resources; project- based learning; Reggio Emilia approach; special education; character education; anger management in schools

Paulette Assaf is currently the deputy chief of party of the USAID-funded Quality Instruction towards Access and Basic Education Improvement 2 (QITABI 2) project, which aims to improve learning outcomes for primary school students in Lebanon. She was the chief of party of QITABI (the prior USAID-funded education project in Lebanon) from 2014 to 2019. Before joining QITABI, Assaf was the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) project manager at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, in charge of a project focusing on Information Technologies and Institutional Development. From 2007 to 2010 she was a Cisco program manager for the Partnership for Lebanon, within the Educational and Networking Academies programs. Previously, she served as a senior sales and marketing executive, project leader and analyst programmer in Beirut and France. Assaf has 30 years of expertise in ICT strategies and management of various education and public sector projects. She holds a BS in computer science and an MA in money and banking from the American University of Beirut. Assaf is a board member of Women in IT, a Lebanese NGO and one of its founders. She is a certified Project Management Professional with PMI.

Expertise: education quality; information and communication technology in education; program manageemnt; system strengthening; gender equity and women's empowerment

Rola Bayram holds an MA in education with an emphasis in mathematics from the Lebanese American University. She is the math specialist under QITABI 2 for World Learning, based in Beirut. She is multilingual, with fluency in Arabic, English, and French and has worked on developing and translating math content and material in three languages for ages ranging early years to secondary level math.

Bayram has more than 30 years of experience teaching in both private and public schools, at both university and school level, intermediate all the way to secondary school. She has also held the position of coordinator for grades kindergarten–secondary school for both English and French sections. Bayram has extensive experience working on the national math curriculum as well as developing and aligning math curricula in private schools. Along with her long years of teaching experience and coordinator position, she has trained and mentored over 300 teachers and administrators, all the while working with the holistic approach to math teaching and learning. Within the holistic approach to teaching and learning of math, under QITABI 2, Bayram has more recently been working on the integration of social and emotional learning into the math curriculum, highlighting the importance of students’ social and emotional development as an integral part of learning as a whole, and learning math more specifically.

Along with her teaching, training, and mentorship work, Bayram acts as a consultant both locally and regionally with special emphasis on dyscalculia, among other topics that deal primarily with teaching strategies and intervention for students with mathematical difficulties. In her spare time, Bayram attends workshops globally to fulfill her continued passion for learning as well as transferring this passion to mentor teachers and students to learn math meaningfully and with joy.

Expertise: math education; curriculum development; teacher education and coaching

Rouba Mansour Fares is the institutional capacity development specialist on QITABI 2 project, a USAID-funded program implemented by World Learning Lebanon. Her main responsibilities are conducting Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and for the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) in addition to implementing the Performance Improvement Action Plan’s recommendations for both public institutions.

She has participated in projects with governmental and international institutions including the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, IREX, Global Fund for Children, Relief International, GIZ, GOPA Worldwide Consultants, UN-Habitat, Lebanese Renaissance Foundation, Youth Forum, and the Lebanese Development Network.

Fares holds a teaching diploma in social service from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon and pursued her postgraduate studies (DESS) in public health at Lebanese University, where she worked as a lecturer for several years.

Expertise:

Dr. Garene Kaloustian is the social and emotional learning (SEL) specialist for World Learning's QITABI 2 program. Based in Beirut, she holds a PhD in child development from Purdue University. Among the various SEL activities under QITABI 2, Kaloustian is currently developing Lebanon’s national SEL framework in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education as well QITABI 2 research partner New York University Global TIES. Her work also involves integrating SEL into the literacy and numeracy curricula for grades 1-6. Kaloustian has more than 10 years of experience in SEL in early childhood education, working as a researcher and consultant in both the public and private sectors in Lebanon and the broader region.

Before joining World Learning, Kaloustian was a professor of early childhood education at Lebanese American University, where she taught both undergraduate and graduate courses for eight years; during this time, she revived the Early Childhood Education Lab School under the Department of Education with its original mission to serve as both an early childcare and research center for students, faculty, and parents. She served as director for two years, working primarily on establishing the school as an early childhood research center. Her research interests center around teacher quality of care, classroom environment, and children’s social and emotional development. Within these topics, her work also focuses on exploring the diverse, unique, and fragile conflict-laden context to better understand the cultural nuances that prevail in schools and how those impact children's social environment and their development.

Expertise: social and emotional learning, child development, early childhood education

Mayada Alsafi is World Learning’s country program manager for Iraq, leading the organization’s programs in cities across the country. She joined World Learning as Iraq’s country lead coordinator in 2010 and previously served as a women’s sector coordinator for America’s Development Foundation. Alsafi has nearly 12 years of experience working in civil society in Iraq, with extensive experience in election monitoring, nongovernmental organization capacity building, women's rights, and youth development. She was born in Baghdad and has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from University of Baghdad.

Expertise: youth development; election monitoring; women's rights; nongovernmental organization capacity building

Dr. Mohamed Abdelaziz is World Learning’s STEAM Discovery Center director in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Abdelaziz brings thirteen years of experience in teaching, teacher education and international development as he currently leads World Learning Saudi Arabia’s STEAM program in Riyadh. Since joining World Learning Algeria in 2012, Dr. Abdelaziz has been developing education and development programs under multiple U.S. Department of State projects in partnership with the Algerian ministries of youth and sports, national education, and higher education and academic research, engaging at-risk youth and building the capacity of local institutions that provide English, career planning, and civic engagement programming to disadvantaged youth.

Since 2016, Dr. Abdelaziz has been more involved in innovative STEAM education and has piloted and refined a model for STEAM learning centers in Algeria and co-founded the Algiers STEAM Center, Ouargla STEAM Center, and seven STEM Corners in Algeria. Combining his science acumen with his passion for teacher education, Dr. Abdelaziz has designed and implemented face-to-face and online STEAM teacher training programs based on Universal Design for Learning as an inclusive approach to teaching all students that continue to be delivered in Algeria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining World Learning, Dr. Abdelaziz worked as a teacher and teacher educator with Hopeland Education Group in Algiers and led many training programs with the U.S. Embassy in Algiers and the British Council. Dr. Abdelaziz is an SIT TESOL certified trainer and PCELT licensed trainer. He holds an MD from the University of Algiers and BA in English literature from the University of Batna. Dr. Abdelaziz's current area of research is in the field of cognitive neuroscience.

Expertise: Teacher education, training of trainers, curriculum development, STEM education, Universal Design for Learning, international education development, youth engagement, English Language Teaching.

German Gomez is director of TESOL and STEAM education at World Learning. In this position, Gomez conducts outreach efforts to increase partnerships for and brand recognition of World Learning and School of International Training’s (SIT) TESOL work and he also oversees the organization’s TESOL and STEAM program portfolio around the world. Gomez brings 23 years of experience in teacher education, curriculum and assessment development, online education program implementation, and teacher training program management. Prior to joining World Learning, Gomez served as academic director for Instituto Guatemalteco Americano-IGA in Guatemala City and the Uniting Cultures and Communication Center in South Korea. Gomez has also been a presenter and guest speaker at various conferences around the world, and has consulted in TESOL and management for various organizations in Asia and Latin America. Gomez holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tulane University in New Orleans and an executive master's degree in project management from Formato Educativo in Spain. Gomez is also an SIT TESOL Certificate Licensed Trainer and TESOL Trainer of Trainers. He is fluent in Spanish and French.

Expertise: TESOL; teacher education; Training Centers

Rajani Shrestha is the project director of World Learning’s Lebanon Education Program. She oversees the $90 million Quality Instruction Towards Access and Basic Education Improvement (QITABI) 2 program that aims to improve the reading, math, and social and emotional learning skills for more than 300,000 students in Lebanon. Throughout her career, Shrestha has worked with donors, policy makers, teachers, administrators, the private sector, and communities to make lasting change in educational systems around the world. Shrestha is strong in strategic planning, designing complex projects, and monitoring, evaluation, and research. She is responsible for strategically positioning World Learning at a local level through donor stewardship and spearheading partnerships with local government ministries and nongovernmental institutions. Shrestha has more than 15 years of experience researching and managing large complex projects in fragile and conflict-affected countries. As a researcher, she has designed and piloted dropout prevention programs in India, Tajikistan, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste. While at the Asian Development Bank/ Nepal, Shrestha implemented a teacher education and skills employment project. She has also worked with UNICEF, working closely at the community level with village facilitators. Shrestha started her career in Nepal as a private sector professional engaging with multinational firms from Europe and America. She uses this deep-rooted experience in her approach to building partnerships, networks, and blending business interest with community development by introducing unique and sustainable practices in international projects. Shrestha holds a master’s degree in public policy with a specialization in social and education policy from the University of Texas at Austin and a master of business administration from Kathmandu University, where she concentrated in marketing.

Expertise: program management; systems stregthening; international education

Dr. Catherine Honeyman is an expert in education quality, employment, and entrepreneurship with extensive experience leading research and policy analysis, as well as providing technical assistance in a variety of developing country contexts, including Rwanda, Colombia, Pakistan, Algeria, and El Salvador. She is currently World Learning’s Senior Youth Workforce Specialist, providing organizational leadership and technical assistance to development projects in the areas of formal and non-formal education programming, youth workforce development, employment, and entrepreneurship, and fostering youth leadership for community development. Dr. Honeyman also holds a Senior Fellow appointment at the Duke Center for International Development, Duke University. Prior to her current position, Dr. Honeyman led research and policy work in the areas of education and youth livelihoods as Managing Director of Ishya Consulting Ltd. In this capacity, Dr. Honeyman served as a consultant for the UNESCO-International Institute for Education Planning (IIEP) developing guidance for education policy makers around the world on improving education quality via the UNESCO/IIEP Learning Portal. Her other education quality-related work for Ishya Consulting included political economy analysis and national policy development to promote emergent, early, higher-order, and adult literacy development in Rwanda, among other projects. Dr. Honeyman has also worked extensively in supporting youth, workforce development, and entrepreneurship programming, including support to the USAID/Global Communities project Higa Ubeho/Social Services for Vulnerable Populations and USAID/EDC project Akazi Kanoze/Work Well Done in Rwanda, and work with the rural secondary school system Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial in Colombia. She has published a number of academic articles, research reports, and other publications on youth, education, and workforce development, including her book, The Orderly Entrepreneur: Youth, Education, and Governance in Rwanda. Dr. Honeyman holds a PhD in comparative and international education with a minor in business and applied economics, a master’s degree in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin, and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University. She speaks English, French, Spanish, and Kinyarwanda.  

Expertise: education quality, technical and vocational educationand training (TVET), employment, entrepreneurship, youth workforce development, youth leadership, community development, soft skills, monitoring and evaluation, research

Dr. Kara McBride is an expert in teacher training, curriculum design, and online and distance learning. Since joining World Learning in 2016, Dr. McBride has worked on a variety of education projects in both face-to-face and distance learning settings. The online teacher training courses and MOOCs that she designed for the U.S. Department of State OPEN program have been completed by more than 25,000 participants from over 100 countries. In her capacity as the headquarters English specialist for QITABI 2, a USAID-funded project in Lebanon that targets literacy, math, and social and emotional learning (SEL), Dr. McBride and her team are working with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to create structured teaching and learning materials for both in-person and distance learning, grades 1-6. Other projects have included curriculum design and training of trainers for Syrian Refugee Kids Can Code in Iraq, developing a Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Prishtina in Kosovo, and training teachers in Costa Rica on using technology to teach indigenous languages and cultures. Dr. McBride serves as co-chair for the Education for Development workgroup for the Society for International Development Washington, D.C. chapter (SID-W). Before coming to World Learning, Dr. McBride was a tenured professor in the Department of Languages, Literature, and Cultures at Saint Louis University, where she served as director of both the basic Spanish program and, later, the Spanish MA program. Dr. McBride holds a doctorate degree in second language acquisition and teaching from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in applied linguistics – TESOL from Indiana University, a master’s degree in Spanish and Latin American studies from Purdue University, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Oregon. Her publications include journal articles and book chapters on online task design, interculturality, and language learning, including her 2018 co-edited book on preparing foreign language teachers, written in Spanish, A enseñar: Una guía práctica para los maestros de idiomas (Let’s Teach! A Practical Guide for Language Teachers). She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Expertise: TESOL; education technology; literacy education; teacher professional development; mixed methods research design

Deepa Srikantaiah, PhD, is World Learning's senior education and research specialist where she provides support for early grade mathematics and literacy programs and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs in the Global Development unit. Dr. Srikantaiah has more than 15 years of experience working on mathematics, science, and literacy education programs in the United States, East Africa, and South and East Asia and has a diverse work and research portfolio. Dr. Srikantaiah was a senior researcher for the USAID-funded Reading within Reach Project/Global Reading Network, where she contributed to building the research and evidence in early grade reading and mathematics. In the 2015–2016 academic year, she was a Fulbright-Nehru U.S. Scholar in India where she conducted research to improve mathematics and science education for poor, marginalized, and vulnerable youth and primary school age students. Dr. Srikantaiah was also an education specialist at the Global Partnership for Education Secretariat, a partnership hosted by the World Bank, where she initiated and headed the work on early grade mathematics education. Dr. Srikantaiah started her career teaching chemistry and working on after school STEM programs for students from low-income neighborhoods in the U.S. This experience fueled her passion for teaching and education and led her to pursue graduate work in education. She holds an MA and PhD, in International Education Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

Expertise: literacy and numeracy education; STEM education; research; Universal Desigh for Learning (UDL)

Bringing a wealth of experience helping communities engage in meaningful ways to solve local challenges, Alex Levy provides technical assistance and oversight for World Learning's Civic Engagement, Action, and Leadership portfolio. Previously at FHI 360, Levy oversaw engagement and social accountability programs in Zambia, Cambodia, Nepal, Morocco, Iraq, and more. The programs served to improve the ability of community members and organizations to articulate their needs and work collaboratively towards making positive changes in their community. She has also developed capacity tools, such as the Youth Programming Assessment Tool, to help organizations reflect on and improve their youth programming. Levy was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia and holds a master’s degree in Middle East studies and conflict resolution.

Expertise: civic engagement; social accountability; community development; civil society stregthening; positive youth development

Neil O’Flaherty is a senior education advisor at World Learning, with a focus on higher education. He has more than 15 years’ experience in working on international projects in the areas of language teacher training and professional development, curriculum development, workforce development and career services, and institutional strengthening of institutions of higher education. His responsibilities at World Learning include designing and delivering effective teacher capacity development activities for worldwide education programs; and design and technical input for higher education institution capacity development programs. He has worked on U.S. Department of State and USAID-funded projects in Algeria, Egypt, El Salvador, Lebanon, Kosovo, and Iraq. He has also trained teachers across a range of countries including Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Georgia, South Korea, and Tunisia. Before joining World Learning, O’Flaherty gained a broad range of experience in the education field including: teaching in Ireland, France, and the U.S.; supporting the higher technical and technological sector in Ireland with a strong focus on teaching language for technical and professional employment; leading ERASMUS inter-university collaboration and student exchange programming; and managing academic program quality assurance and accreditation processes for undergraduate and graduate programs across a wide range of academic disciplines. He also served on Irish National Council for Curriculum and Assessment commission for French language curriculum. Neil holds two master’s degrees—one in French literature and one in TESOL. He speaks fluent French and Spanish as well as Irish and English.

Expertise: TESOL; higher education; systems stregthening; HICD; teacher and faculty development; youth workforce development; teacher education

Dr. Peter Weinberger is Senior Advisor for MERL at World Learning. He brings more than 15 years of professional expertise in research, monitoring and evaluation, curriculum development, training, project management, as well as technical expertise in conflict resolution, education interventions, preventing/countering violence extremism (P/CVE), trauma-informed care, and youth development. At World Learning, Dr. Weinberger is leading organization-wide efforts to document improved education outcomes and program learnings from various settings while drawing upon neuroscience-based approaches to design new evaluation interventions. Previously, as consultant and staff, he has developed multiple training programs for USAID, the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and civil society organizations, including novel methods incorporating trauma-informed interventions. Dr. Weinberger has a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Expertise: Monitoring and evaluation; conflict resolution; trauma-informed care; preventing/countering violent extremism

Dr. Radmila Popovic is an experienced senior education advisor with a demonstrated history of working in international education projects. At World Learning, she is a leader in conceptualizing, designing and implementing face-to-face and online pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, as well as a number of projects combining curriculum development and training teachers how to implement new curricular requirements in practice. She has designed and moderated several online courses and MOOCs, including “Teaching Grammar Communicatively” for the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program. In 2020/2021, she led three teams of course designers and online instructors who prepared and delivered online English language courses for students and young professionals in Myanmar, English language courses for unemployed youth in Iraq, and English language preparation courses for participants of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program. Prior to joining World Learning in 2011, she taught courses in ELT Methodology and Second Language Acquisition and supervised undergraduate and graduate students at three different higher education institutions: the University of Belgrade (1998-2011), SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont (2007-2009), and the New School in New York (2009-2010). Dr. Popovic holds a bachelor's degree in English language and literature from the University of Belgrade, a master’s degree in linguistics from the University of Belgrade, a master’s degree in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont, and a doctorate in applied linguistics from the University of Belgrade. She has worked with students, teachers and teacher trainers in Algeria, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and the U.S.

Expertise: TESOL; teacher education, training of trainers, teaching English to young learners, online learning and teaching, higher education, curriculum development, foreign language education policy

Gillian McClelland is a program specialist with a decade of progressive experience managing large, complex programs focused on education quality improvement, innovative STEAM education, teacher professional development, and school-community partnerships. At present, she oversees several STEM education programs across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq that emphasize open-ended problem solving and encourage interdisciplinary learning and critical inquiry. A skilled problem solver in cross-cultural contexts, she leads results-oriented teams and brings together internal and external stakeholders to ensure programs are well-resourced and meeting client expectations. She has proven expertise in program design and management, financial management, team mentoring, partnership development, performance monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization, and donor relations. Prior to joining World Learning in 2009, she managed a volunteer teaching program in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. She holds an EdM in international education policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education as well as a BA from Pomona College.

Expertise: program management; education development; community development

Hannah Zuzek has extensive experience leading programs in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, as well as providing technical assistance in youth workforce development and entrepreneurship projects. Zuzek has worked extensively in the Middle East and North Africa region with more than ten years of experience, including serving as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco (2010-2012). She holds expertise in inclusive youth workforce development, entrepreneurship, private sector engagement, positive youth development, and economic growth.

Expertise: program management; positive youth development; youth employement

Andrea Welsh is an international development practitioner with over ten years of experience in Latin America and Africa, as well as South and Southeast Asia. Welsh currently serves as the director of World Learning's Institute for Political and Civic Engagement (iPACE). In this role, she leads the overall management, strategic planning, and technical approach of iPACE’s civic education and civil society strengthening program. This experience builds upon her appointment as a Fulbright Public Policy Fellow with Myanmar’s Ministry of Education. In addition to her work in international education programming, Welsh has demonstrated experience in mixed methods research focused on advancing gender equality and empowerment. Welsh holds bachelor’s degrees in international studies and Spanish from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in global human development from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Expertise: civic education and engagement, civil society strengthening, education policy, gender equality, international education programming

Heather Beard is an international education professional with 16 years of admissions and development experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Heather joined World Learning in 2010 as an admissions officer for the School for International Training. In 2013, Heather began her role of associate director of Admissions for The Experiment in International Living and was promoted to director of admissions in 2015. Before coming to World Learning, Heather worked in admissions for The Putney School and as membership coordinator for Dartmouth College’s Hopkins Center for the Arts. She has an MFA in studio art and critical theory from the Maine College of Art, and a bachelor's degree in English from Emerson College.

Expertise: youth exchange

Matt Brown has worked for World Learning for 24 years and is currently based in the Washington, DC area. He designs and manages diverse programs that build the technical and leadership capacities of individuals, universities, and other types of organizations to achieve their goals, using tools such as professional training, international exchanges, study tours, grants, and university linkages. Matt has focused recently on programs that support countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe, Pakistan, and Malawi. For 12 years, he served as World Learning’s resident director in several Balkan countries. Matt began his career as an ESL teacher and teacher trainer. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Pakistan and Bulgaria. He has substantial experience serving on nonprofit boards, and facilitates occasional anti-racism workshops. Matt holds a master’s degree in international and intercultural management and administration from World Learning’ SIT Graduate School, and an executive certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown. He speaks fluent Bulgarian and some Spanish.

Expertise: professional training design; nonprofit management and strategic planning; international university linkages; anti-racism training and consulting; language training

Cari Graves serves as director of World Learning’s Youth Development Team and has been with World Learning since May 2003 developing programs for professionals and youth from all over the world. Over the years, Graves has managed youth leadership exchange programs for Rwanda, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Lebanon, Germany, Turkey, and the United States, sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Office of Citizen Exchanges and U.S. Embassies. Currently, Graves manages her staff team and all of World Learning’s youth program grants. Graves has had extensive international experience and is passionate about working with young leaders from around the world.  

Expertise: youth development; health and safety training; interfaith dialogue; curriculum development; community partner activities; alumni activities

Ms. Lisa Bennett is the program manager of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) team at World Learning. In this role, she manages the implementation of this flagship professional exchange program that engages international leaders and Americans from a variety of fields, in support of U.S. foreign policy goals, and to help forge lasting international partnerships.

Ms. Bennett has 10+ years of experience designing and implementing domestic and international projects and exchanges across a range of industries and for diverse audiences. She has demonstrated experience on U.S. Government-funded awards, specifically with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and with the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation. Ms. Bennett’s professional background also includes management experience in higher education administration at Georgetown University. Her work contributed to the institution’s 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll award, the highest federal recognition for an institution’s commitment to community, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Ms. Bennett serves as an adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and a faculty member of Jesuit Worldwide Learning, a tertiary education program that brings learning to people and communities at the margins of society. She has a B.A. in history and religion from James Madison University, a M.S. degree in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University, and an executive certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; event management; virtual programming; project management

Jessica Ellerbach has over 10 years of experience in the field of international education, and she currently serves as the Program Manager for the Fulbright Specialist Program for World Learning. In this capacity, Ellerbach oversees the daily operations of the program and provides overall strategic direction of its implementation. Prior to her current role, Ellerbach managed several academic exchange programs for Pakistan, West Bank and Gaza, and Kosovo sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development as well as administered professional exchange programs funded by the U.S. Department of State. Ellerbach’s professional focus on administering U.S. government academic and professional exchange programs is complemented by her master’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University.  

Expertise: professional exchanges; academic exchanges; international education; exchange program management

Bethany Gilchrist has over 10 years of experience in the field of international education, and currently serves as the Program Manager for the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) for World Learning. In this capacity, Bethany oversees the daily operations of the program and provides overall strategic direction of its implementation, serving as the program’s main point of contact for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. As the program lead, Bethany designs and oversees both the student and host institution application processes and created World Learning’s first semester-long virtual English language training program in conjunction with the organization’s in-house TESOL experts. Bethany obtained both her bachelor’s degree in international relations and her master’s degree in economics from American University in Washington, DC. She is fluent in Spanish.

Expertise: academic exchanges; international education; exchange program management; virtual learning; virtual exchange; experiential learning

Rachel Rice is a Program Manager at World Learning. She manages the implementation of the Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad, also known as IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students), a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Prior to joining World Learning, Rachel served as a College Relations Manager at IES Abroad. In this role, she worked with institutions in the Northeast region of the U.S. promoting study and internships abroad to students, faculty, and staff. Rachel also served as the Program Director for International Programs at Barnard College, advising inbound and outbound students, managing international partnerships, supporting faculty-led programs, and managing on-campus international programming. Rachel received her MA in Educational Psychology from NYU Steinhardt, and her BA in European Studies from Barnard College. She has frequently presented at national conferences on assessment of study abroad programs.

Expertise: program management; program development; grants management; assessment and evaluation; institutional relations

Vlad Spencer is a Program Manager at World Learning with more than 20 years of experience administering U.S. Department of State professional exchange programs. In his role, Mr. Spencer also manages relationships and communication with in-country partners to ensure successful program delivery. As the current Program Manager for the On-Demand Leaders Lead and Digital Communication Network exchanges, the U.S. Speaker Program, the Professional Fellows Program, and the International Sports Programming Initiative, Mr. Spencer brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in creating impactful public diplomacy programming. Previous experience includes journalism and TV production. Mr. Spencer has a M.A. degree in economics from Bucharest University in Romania and has studied TV production at American University in Washington, DC.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; event management; network creation; grants management; virtual programming; project management.

Deanna Wertheimer is World Learning’s manager of Communities Connecting Heritage, an ECA-sponsored cultural heritage preservation program in its second year of implementation. She oversees the implementation of six collaborative cultural heritage preservation projects focused on youth, women, and underserved communities that connect U.S. and international communities through both virtual and reciprocal in-person exchanges. Wertheimer has more than a decade of experience in educational exchange at World Learning, having successfully led the startup of two ECA-sponsored long-term youth exchanges, including the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) Program. As lead on these programs, she worked closely with host schools, host families, and local coordinators to support students on their academic year exchanges. Her overseas work includes institutional strengthening activities with leaders in civil society organizations in Nicaragua, teaching English to university students in Valparaíso, Chile, and working in Barcelona, Spain, as the assistant program director for a Spanish immersion program. Wertheimer obtained her bachelor’s degree in social ecology and Spanish from the University of California, Irvine, and her master’s degree in international education from SIT Graduate Institute. She is fluent in Spanish.  

Expertise: academic exchanges; cultural heritage preservation; exchange program design and implementation; experiential learning; virtual exchange; short-term exchanges; youth exchanges; host family recruitment and management

Eric Corens is technical advisor, technical specialist, and program manager at World Learning focused on participant training, organizational development, and exchanges. Corens has worked for World Learning for 13 years designing and managing training, education, capacity building, civic engagement, and exchanges for programs in the MENA region, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. He has served as key personnel and program manager for programs such as the U.S. Department of State-funded Leaders for Democracy Fellowship, the USAID-funded Community Connections Belarus, and others. Corens also brings 16 years of experience in project management, engagement with public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and NGO management. He’s certified in the Participatory Institutional Analysis Instrument and USAID’s Introduction to Human and Institutional Capacity Development tool. Corens has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Emory University and a master’s degree in international political economy from Seton Hall University.  

Expertise: training development; civil society capacity building; international training and professional development for the MENA region

Ann Driscoll is a Senior Program Officer on World Learning’s Professional Exchanges team. She joined World Learning in February 2010 and has developed over 100 projects for the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), including in-person and virtual programs, multi-regional and regional projects, individual and small group programs, special initiatives on elections, journalism, and international security, the International Women of Courage project, and voluntary visitor programs. She designed and led one of the first virtual IVLP projects, a Regional Program for the Caribbean, in 2015. As a Senior Program Officer, Ms. Driscoll contributes to IVLP team management and provides programming and professional development support to her colleagues. She has tailored programs for visitors from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Western Hemisphere on a variety of topics including elections, government transparency and accountability, e-government, women’s political participation, civil and human rights, border security, policing, counter-extremism, disinformation, energy, education, journalism, filmmaking, entrepreneurship, international adoptions, environmental protection and climate change, and new media. Her work experience prior to joining World Learning includes 14 years as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Information Agency, during which time she served as a cultural affairs and press officer in Jordan, Algeria, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia. Ms. Driscoll holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of South Florida and an M.A. in public communication from American University.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; project management; virtual programming

Jessica Mead is a Senior Program Officer on the Professional Exchanges team at World Learning. She has 20 years of experience in project management, public affairs, international education, and international exchange. Since 2015, she has managed the Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (Alumni TIES) program funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In this role, she plans and implements thematic seminars around the world for alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs and manages the Alumni TIES Small Grants program. From 2008 to 2015, she worked on the Global Undergraduate Exchange program, also funded by the U.S. Department of State, advising undergraduate students from countries in East Asia and the Pacific during their semester or year abroad and securing placements for them at U.S. universities and colleges. She also developed two small grant programs for World Learning alumni: the 2014 Alumni Engagement Initiative funded by Newman’s Own Foundation and the 2015 Advancing Leaders Fellowship program; in addition to creating an online course in community project design, management, and evaluation for prospective grantees.

Prior to joining World Learning, Ms. Mead was an English language instructor at DuocUC in Santiago, Chile, coordinated international public affairs campaigns at Powell Tate|Weber Shandwick, assisted with marketing strategies for Outward Bound USA, and organized large events and major gift solicitations for the New England Regional Anti-Defamation League. Ms. Mead has a M.Sc. degree in the history of international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. degree from Sarah Lawrence College.

Expertise: professional exchanges; academic exchanges; international education; event management; grants management; virtual programming; project management.

Ms. Meghan Simpson is a senior program officer on World Learning’s International Visitor Leadership Program team, where she has worked since 2014. Her background includes over two decades of international experience as an educator, researcher, and programmer. In her current role, she leads efforts to develop and incorporate innovative learning and design elements into international exchange programming. She has conducted sessions for national and international audiences on experiential learning, understanding different learning styles, and creative programming elements in exchange programs. Prior to joining World Learning, Ms. Simpson served on the faculty of the Asian University of Women in Bangladesh, where she taught courses in writing, Gender Studies, and Asian Studies. Before that, she worked on local governance reform with the Open Society Institute in Budapest, pioneering a series of short-term, immersive exchanges for leaders in multiethnic communities in Southeast Europe and Central Asia. Ms. Simpson’s passion for international exchange is borne of out of her experiences as an exchange participant, which include a Fulbright scholarship for research on the complex relationship between women’s non-governmental organizations and international aid in Kyrgyzstan. She holds graduate degrees from Central European University and the School for International Training Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; event management; virtual programming; project management

Mr. Anthony Zaun is an education professional with over 20 years of experience managing international education and development programs in the areas of exchange, training, and capacity-building. Currently a Senior Program Officer on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) team at World Learning, Mr. Zaun researches, designs, and overseas the implementation of IVLP projects, and contributes to the professional development of his colleagues. Since joining World Learning, Mr. Zaun has developed and implemented over 100 IVLP programs on a wide range of topics for professionals from all over the world. He has also collaborated with colleagues at other agencies on special projects and initiatives on diversity, women’s entrepreneurship, national security, and US electoral processes. In addition to his experience with the IVLP program, Mr. Zaun’s professional background includes over ten years of experience managing USAID-funded election administration and workforce development programs and collaborating with government and private-sector partners to achieve project goals and objectives. Mr. Zaun has a B.A. degree in political science and Latin American studies from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and an M.A. degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Expertise: professional exchanges; international education; event management; virtual programming; project management

Amirah Nelson joined World Learning in 2014, working on a portfolio of complex, long-term academic exchange programs for individuals from countries such as Kosovo, Malawi, and the West Bank and Gaza. She has managed all stages of the academic exchange program cycle, including outreach and recruitment of diverse host institutions, visa and logistical arrangements, stakeholder coordination, participant advising, and budgetary management. In addition, Nelson serves as Camp Director for the U.S. Department of State-funded Women in Science Girls STEAM Camp, a public-private partnership involving Intel, the United Nations’ Girl Up Campaign, Google, and NASA that brings together teen girls from around the world to connect them with mentors and like-minded peers, inspire them to pursue careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, and/or Mathematics (STEAM), and enhance their leadership potential. Previously, Nelson worked in Indonesia, where she promoted citizen diplomacy and youth leadership as a Fulbright Scholar and assisted the Indonesian Directorate General of Higher Education in its efforts to address teacher shortages in remote and/or disadvantaged areas. She continues to maintain a connection to the country through her role on the Advisory Board of In Good Faith, a nonprofit organization working in Indonesia and the U.S. at the intersections of digital exchange, interfaith education, and countering violent extremism. Nelson holds a degree in economics and development studies from Smith College. She speaks English and Indonesian.  

Expertise: people-to-people exchanges; cross-cultural exchanges; academic scholarship recruitment and programming; youth leadership; girls’ education