Global Travel Opportunities

CIEE Global Navigator Program (summer study abroad)

Application deadline: January 15

If you need help with the application, please see the CIEE application help page, which has detailed instructions for every task. CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad organization that has been around for 75 years. There are more than 30 amazing destinations around the world that you can visit for 3-4 weeks in the summer.

There are language immersion programs in which you immerse yourself in the local scene while you improve your fluency in Spanish, French, Japanese or other languages. There are also programs that focus on service learning where you can work with a community on global issues such as climate change, social justice, or youth mentorship.

Grow your leadership skills and earn up to 50 service hours! Ingraham is part of the CIEE Global Navigator School Network and we have access to over $25,000 in CIEE scholarships for students each year.

Youth Ambassadors Program – due November 11

This is an amazing program and it’s free!

The Youth Ambassadors Program is an up to 3-week in-person or 6-week digital leadership exchange abroad for U.S. youth ages 15 – 17 and adult educators. The program provides full scholarships for 120 students and adults to take part in one of six cultural exchange programs to countries in the Caribbean and South America. Upon returning to the U.S., program participants implement their own community service projects to address a specific issue in their community.

Summer 2025 Programs include:

Argentina – Spanish Immersion Program
Belize – English Language Program
Brazil – English Language Program
Costa Rica – Spanish Immersion Program
Ecuador – Spanish Immersion Program

National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)

Summer or year-long study abroad and virtual program – Free

The U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program was launched in 2006 to promote critical language learning among American youth. The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, awards and administers merit-based scholarships to high school students for participation in summer and academic year immersion programs in locations where the eight NSLI-Y languages are spoken. NSLI-Y immerses participants in the cultural life of the host community, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. Participants receive intensive language instruction, live with a host family for all or part of the program, and participate in a variety of cultural activities. Sample daily schedule.

Learn more about the application process. The application deadline for this year’s NSLI-Y program is November 4th at 1:00 PM.

Amigos – Summer volunteer programs in Latin America

AMIGOS programs provide a unique opportunity to experience a new culture as a local, not a tourist. Volunteers report increased fluency in Spanish after going through our program. Activities go far beyond the classroom — you’ll lead activities in Spanish, learn local slang, and increase your confidence with real-world practice.

Apply for Amigos summer volunteer program

What you’ll do:

Go beyond travel and become part of a new community
Make real friendships that last a lifetime
Volunteer and learn about ethical service
Improve your Spanish by using it in everyday conversation
Experience a new culture
Earn 24+ service hours
Gain confidence and leadership skills that prepare you for college and beyond!
Earn two college credits on 3+ week projects

YES Study Abroad (yearlong) – Free

U.S. high school students who want to experience another culture can apply for full scholarships to study abroad next school year through the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program. As YES Abroad scholars, American high school students promote mutual understanding between the U.S. and the host country by forming lasting relationships with the local community.

Start a 2025-2026 application or to access an application already in progress.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the YES Abroad program is a component of the Kennedy-Lugar YES program, an exchange program that brings almost 900 high school students from approximately 40 countries of strategic importance to the United States to study each year.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, full scholarships are available through YES Abroad to live with host families and attend a local high school for one academic year in countries that may include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey. The merit-based scholarship covers the following program costs for participants: domestic and international travel, tuition and related academic preparation, accommodations with a host family, educational and cultural activities in the host country, orientations, applicable visa fees, three meals per day, and medical coverage.

Applications close on December 4, 2024 at 1pm PT.

Future Leaders Exchange Abroad (FLEX Abroad) Program

In 2021, the U.S. Department of State and American Councils for International Education announced the inaugural year of the Future Leaders Exchange Abroad (FLEX Abroad) program. After nearly three decades of success welcoming international students to the United States through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program, we are now offering a new opportunity for U.S. citizens to go abroad. FLEX Abroad provides a unique fully funded exchange experience for American high school students to build global awareness and intercultural competency. This experience positively impacts students’ personal growth and ensures global mutual understanding through direct interaction with another culture.

Application deadline: December 4, 2024 at 1:00 PM PST.

Apply for Future Leaders Exchange Abroad

Study abroad in Germany with a Full Scholarship in 2025-26!

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) scholarship is for motivated high school students who want to experience a culture and learn a language through a full immersion experience. Learn about German culture first-hand by living with a host family and attending a German high school. Embark on an adventure that is unlike any other. The CBYX program additionally offers vocational and young professional scholarship opportunities; visit the Programs page to learn more.

Application due November 1.

As a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) high school program participant, your exchange year will include:

Placement with a carefully selected German host family
Admission to a German high school
Pre-departure training in the United States and orientation programs in Germany
Language lessons upon arrival in Germany
Cultural excursions to the German Bundestag and select German cities
Meetings with U.S. and German government officials

The Experiment in International Living

Travel through Germany and visit Belgium and Luxembourg as you learn about international politics and gain fascinating insights into the European Union in the Germany: International Relations & The E.U. program.
Study Japanese through intensive language training and exciting activities. Explore vibrant Tokyo neighborhoods and stay with a host family in a different region in the Japan: Japanese Language & Culture program.
Work with a local organization and learn about Africa’s tangible and imagined histories as you earn college credit and prepare for your future career in the Ghana: Internship Contemporary Art & Culture program.
And more! Learn more and apply for the Experiment in International Living.