What is the CFR Education Ambassador Program?
The CFR Education Ambassador program is a nine-month engagement that connects educators across the world with resources, professional development activities, and a network of like-minded professionals who are committed to equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and perspective to navigate today’s connected world.
We are pleased to announce two Ambassador programs for the 2023-2024 school year:
- High School Ambassador Program: This program is dedicated to high school teachers, department heads, and curriculum leaders who are championing global civics and global affairs education.
- Higher Education Ambassador Program: The higher education program is dedicated to professors, instructors, and administrators championing global affairs in colleges and universities across the country.
What are the perks for CFR Education Ambassadors?
✔ Join a prestigious educator program affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations, the world’s leading global affairs think tank and publisher.
✔ Build a professional network by interacting with like-minded educators and sharing best practices in teaching global issues.
✔ Participate in professional development opportunities.
✔ Gain visibility: the chance to be featured by CFR Education on email, blog, or social media posts.
✔ Help shape and improve CFR Education’s award-winning educational products, including: World101, Model Diplomacy, and Convene the Council.
✔ Advance global civics and global affairs education around the world.
✔ Receive a certificate with professional development hours.
... and more!
CFR Education Ambassadors
- participate in monthly meetings, including focus groups, product overviews, networking opportunities, and CFR expert insight. Ambassadors must attend at least three virtual meetings per year;
- actively use CFR Education resources and provide invaluable feedback;
- share their enthusiasm for teaching about global civics and global affairs, elevating the teaching of these subjects in their respective institutions; and
- spread the word about CFR Education’s products–World101, Model Diplomacy, and Convene the Council–with their community.
Hear what CFR Education Ambassadors say about the program
“I like the Education Ambassador program because it keeps me connected and motivated to build a strong coalition of like-minded professionals to effect systematic civic engagement through education.”
- Rhonda Coombs, High School Teacher, CFR Education Ambassador 2022-24
“I’m so thrilled to have this opportunity to connect with other international affairs specialists so I can learn new ideas, tools, and approaches to help increase global civic literacy in our campus and community.”
- Dr. Jean Abshire, Higher Education Professor, CFR Education Ambassador 2023-24
“CFR Education has fundamentally changed the way I teach. World101 and Model Diplomacy are engaging, relevant, and valuable resources for teachers and students.”
- Luke Sundermeier, High School Teacher, CFR Education Ambassador 2022-24
Who is eligible to be an Ambassador?
- high school teachers and administrators who incorporate global issues into history, social studies, English, science, or other disciplines
- higher education instructors and administrators who incorporate global affairs into international relations, history, public policy, area studies, economics, law, environmental studies, public health, or other disciplines
- instructors of all kinds who currently work at a private or public educational institution
- those who are passionate about global affairs and committed to equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and perspective to navigate today’s connected world
Interested in joining the program?
The application period for the 2023-2024 CFR Education Ambassador program is currently closed. The program will open to new applicants in the summer of 2024.
If you are interested in learning about more ways to be involved with CFR Education, please contact [email protected].
2023-24 CFR Education Ambassadors
High School
Kelley Akins, Northwest Early College High School, TX
Matt Bell, Marvin E Robinson School of Business & Management (Townview Magnet Center), VA
Bill Betthauser, Bishop O'Connell High School, VA
Eunice Bonaparte, Washington Preparatory School, WA
Jim Burns, Global Online Academy & Avenues School, NY
Lucas Carmichael, Kent Denver School, CO
Brian Chmielewski, Landmark Christian School, GA
Tara Cocanower, Bluffton High School, IN
Kevin Conlon, Francis W Parker School, IL
Jennifer Connolly, Preston High School, NY
Rhonda Coombs, Bozeman High School, MT
Kayla Corcoran, Thaden School, AR
Lilla Csaki, Brisbane Grammar School, Australia
Cynthia Cullen, Half Hollow Hills High School East, NY
Pamala Custer, Hanover High School, NH
Thomas DeMartinis, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, NY
Mary Devane, Horace Greeley High School, NY
Jennifer Dikes, The Clinton School, NY
Nataliya Di Domenico, Sewickley Academy, PA
Cristina Drondoe, Mosaic Explore, NH
Chris Elder, Downingtown STEM Academy, PA
Kara Fagan, Academy at Charlemont, MA
Steven Filie, Beacon Academy, IL
Kyle Freiler, The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, Washington, DC
Thomas Fulbright, Hope Street Academy, KS
Jayme Gafford, Effingham County High School, GA
Angela Garcia, J. Frank Dobie High School, TX
Danielle Gross, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Patricia Haderer, Buffalo Public Schools Middle Early College High School, NY
Jeremy Hall, North Broward Preparatory School, FL
Amy Hansel, Compass High School, CA
James Hayward, Bushwick Ascend Middle School, NY
Kevin B. Held, Taipei American School, Taiwan
Jennifer Henley, Morrow High School, GA
Michael Hennessy, American School of Barcelona, Spain
Jane Highley, Devon Preparatory School, PA
Jennifer Hoffman, West Babylon Schools, NY
Chris Hughes, Scarsdale High School, NY
Dale Hutchison,Taipei American School, Taiwan
Melissa Jacobs, Herricks Union Free School District, NY
Dr. Shamita Johnson, Grace Snell Middle School, GA
Darby Kennedy, Logic Creative Labs, Inc, GA
Christine Kulke, Holton-Arms School, MD
René Lafayette, Leominster High School, MA
Tacarra Lake, Los Alamos High School, NM
Todd Lamb, Montverde Academy, FL
Brendan Lavelle, Archbishop Mitty High School, CA
Maggie LeGrand, North Gaston High School, NC
JT Logan, Briar Woods High School, VA
Lois MacMillan, Grants Pass High School, OR
Nathan McAlister, Kansas State Department of Education, KS
Bernard McCauley, Great Valley High School, PA
Aaron McWaters, Hammond Central High School, IN
Kimberly Meyer, Creighton Preparatory School, NE
Portia Mhlongo, Keystone Academy, China
Jacquelyn R. Moorman, Maquoketa Valley Community School District, IA
Rebekkah Morrow, Westmoore High School, OK
Ron Nash, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, NY
Moira O'Rourke, Dover High School, NH
David Piovanetti, Dwight Global Online Virtual School, NY
Elaine Priovolo, Needham High School, MA
Sarah Richards, Collins Hill High School, GA
Heather Savadel, Manatee School for the Arts, FL
Allison Shick, San Clemente High School, CA
Luke Sundermeier, Marysville High School, OH
Ian Tiedemann, Greenwich High School, CT
Gabriel Valdez, Fort Worth ISD Teaching and Learning Center, TX
Mike Vazquez, Boston Trinity Academy, MA
Francis Ventura, Calwell High School, Australia
Kaylyn Wade, Signal Mountain Middle High School, TN
Alison Walters, Frontier Regional School, MA
Ryan Werenka, Troy High School, MI
Mary Ellen Wessels, Gate City Charter School for the Arts, NH
Sara Ziemnik, Rocky River High School, OH
Higher Education
Daniel Abankwa, Western Carolina University, NC
Jean E. Abshire, Indiana University Southeast, IN
José Alarcon, IE University, Spain
Judith Anderson, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, NY
Gloria Ayee, Harvard University, MA
Galia Benitez, Michigan State University/James Madison College, MI
Brandon Boylan, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK
Christopher M. Brown, Georgia Southern University, GA
Zarrin Caldwell, Mesa Community College, AZ
Erin Carriere-Kretschmer, Trinity Washington University, Washington, DC
Justin Chock, United States Naval Academy, MD
Clayton Cleveland, College of the Holy Cross, MA
Mary Catherine Colley, Auburn University, AL
Jennifer Cook, Fairfield University, CT
Lissette Acosta Corniel, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, NY
Ryan Daugherty, Butler University, IN
Jill Dougherty, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Steve Elliot-Gower, Georgia College & State University, GA
Flavia V. Farinetti, Universidad de las Américas Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
Sean Foreman, Barry University, FL
Hope Dewell Gentry, Montana State University Billings, MT
Peter Gerlach, University of Iowa, IA
Amber Godwin, Sam Houston State University, TX
Vanessa Gomes, Columbia University/University of New York (guest lecturer), NY
Neil Gonsalves, Durham College, Canada
Dr. Kelisha B. Graves, Virginia State University, VA
Ambassador (ret.) Gordon Gray, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Claudia G. Green, Pace University, NY
Kelly M. Greenhill, Tufts University/MIT, MA
Rita B. Groh, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN
Don Habibi, University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC
Stephanie Hallock, Harford Community College, MD
Holley Hansen, Oklahoma State University, OK
Ghina Harb, Lebanese American University, NY and Lebanon
Jerome Haynesworth, Howard University, Washington, DC
Loren Henderson, University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD
Jason Hensley, California Lutheran University, CA
Matthias Hofferberth, University of Texas - San Antonio, TX
Kristina Hook, Kennesaw State University, GA
Jin In, Boston University, MA
Susan Jagendorf-Sobierajski, State University of New York College of Agriculture & Technology at Cobleskill, NY
Eric M. Jepsen, The University of South Dakota, SD
Steven Jones, Georgia Gwinnett College, GA
Angela Kachuyevski, Arcadia University, PA
Mahmood Khan, Virginia Tech, VA
Ibtissam Klait, University of the People, CA
Raymonde Kleinberg, University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC
Rob Lalka, Tulane University, LA
Andrew Latham, Macalester College, MN
Azzedine Layachi, St. John's University, NY
Hyeyoung Lim, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL
Kelley Littlepage, University of Houston, TX
Sheng Lu, University of Delaware, DE
Emily Matson, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Mary M. McCarthy, Drake University, IA
Sommer Mitchell, Penn State University, PA
Gregory Moore, Notre Dame College/University of Texas at El Paso, OH/TX
Anthony Moretti, Robert Morris University, PA
Michael Mosser, The University of Texas at Austin, TX
Todd Myers, Grossmont College and San Diego State University, CA
Hyon Namgung, Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO
Tomoharu Nishino, University of Pennsylvania, PA
Rudy Novak, United States Air Force Academy, CO
Godwin Onuoha, University of Pennsylvania, PA
Ambassador (ret.) Susan D. Page, University of Michigan, MI
Andy Person, Long Island University, NY
Ashiyan Ian Rahmani, California State University, CA
Guy Ras, Evergreen Valley College, CA
Marcelo Rodríguez, University of Arizona, AZ
Mark Rush, Washington and Lee University, VA
Esha Senchaudhuri, Brandeis University, MA
Sarah Tenney Sharman, The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina, SC
Laila Sorurbakhsh, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Andrew Spicer, University of South Carolina, SC
Takeo Suzuki, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN
Sana Tayyen, University of Redlands, CA
Linda Trautman, Ohio University, OH
Sharmila Udyavar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
Felicity Vabulas, Pepperdine University, CA
Leslie VanBelkum, Lebanon Valley College, PA
Aaron Walayat, University of Pittsburgh, PA
Yufeng Wei, New Jersey City University, NJ
Erinn Whitaker, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
Dan Whitman, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Jane Zhu, Suffolk University, MA
Learn more with the Council on Foreign Relations press release about the 2023-24 CFR Education Ambassador Program.