Council on International Educational Exchange

The Council on International Educational Exchange, commonly known as CIEE, is a United States-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on international education and cross-cultural exchange. Headquartered in Portland, Maine, it develops and administers programs for secondary-school students, university students, educators, and young professionals. Its stated educational purpose is to help participants gain understanding, knowledge, and practical skills for living and working in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. CIEE was established in 1947, shortly after the Second World War, when international travel and educational exchange networks were being rebuilt. It began as the Council on Student Travel, a consortium of educational and cultural organizations seeking to restore student travel between the United States and Europe. One of its early initiatives was the Student Ship Project, which used converted troopships to transport students and educators across the Atlantic. The voyages combined transportation with cultural orientation and educational programming, reflecting CIEE's early interest in making travel an organized learning experience rather than simply a logistical service. The organization broadened its mission during the 1950s. In 1951, the Council on Student Travel merged with the Council on Correlation of International Educational Enterprises and established offices in New York City. Its work expanded into academic exchange, international-student support, orientation, and other forms of educational programming. In 1967, it adopted the name Council on International Educational Exchange, a title that more directly described its wider role in international education. CIEE has also played a role in U.S. Department of State J-1 cultural-exchange programs. In 1969, after being designated the first sponsor of the J-1 Summer Work Travel category, it launched what is now known as CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel. The program allows university students from other countries to spend part of their academic break living and working in the United States while participating in cultural exchange activities. Following recommendations from CIEE, the Department of State created the J-1 Trainee category in 1984, supporting structured internships and training for university students and recent graduates. Today, CIEE's portfolio includes college study-abroad programs, high-school exchange and study programs, teaching opportunities, internships, trainee placements, camp-counselor programs, educator programs, gap-year and first-year-abroad offerings, and work-abroad services. Study-abroad experiences may be semester-long, summer-based, or short term, and are delivered through CIEE study centers and partnerships with universities and other host institutions. Academic and cultural components are commonly combined with local excursions, advising, language learning, and other forms of intercultural engagement. CIEE operates in more than 45 cities across over 30 countries, with locations identified in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Examples include Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Cape Town, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, and Buenos Aires. Its programs serve both international participants coming to the United States and U.S. participants studying, working, or traveling abroad. The organization reports that approximately 50,000 people participate in its programs each year. CIEE moved its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Portland, Maine, in 2003. It remains a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors, with an International Program Advisory Council established in 2023 to advise on study-abroad quality, program development, and trends in international education.

CIEE emerged in the postwar effort to rebuild international educational exchange. Founded in 1947 as the Council on Student Travel, it brought together educational and cultural organizations concerned with restoring student movement between the United States and Europe after wartime travel restrictions and disruptions. Its early activities included the Student Ship Project, which used converted troopships to carry students and educators across the Atlantic. The ships also provided cultural orientation and educational activities, establishing a model in which international travel was connected to structured learning and intercultural preparation. In 1951, the Council on Student Travel merged with the Council on Correlation of International Educational Enterprises. The combined organization established offices in New York City and expanded beyond transportation arrangements. During the 1950s, it developed orientation services, academic exchange initiatives, and support for international students traveling to and from the United States. This expansion helped move the organization toward its modern identity as an international education provider rather than a student-travel logistics group. The organization adopted the name Council on International Educational Exchange in 1967. The change reflected a broader mission encompassing educational exchange, cultural understanding, and international student programming. Two years later, in 1969, CIEE was designated by the U.S. Department of State as the first sponsor of the J-1 Summer Work Travel visa category. It subsequently launched the Summer Work Travel program, now known as CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel. The program supports cultural exchange by allowing university students from around the world to work in the United States during academic breaks while experiencing American communities and workplaces. CIEE's engagement with the J-1 framework continued in the 1980s. In 1984, following recommendations from the organization, the U.S. Department of State created the J-1 Trainee category. This category enabled university students and recent graduates to undertake structured internships and training in the United States. Alongside its visa-related exchange work, CIEE continued developing study-abroad, school-exchange, educator, teaching, and professional programs. In 2003, CIEE relocated its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Portland, Maine. Its international network continued to develop through partnerships with universities and institutions and through CIEE-operated study centers. In 2015, it introduced its first Open Campus Block Program in Berlin. The model offered a flexible study-abroad structure organized around city-based academic blocks and was later extended to other destinations, including London, Paris, and Rome. CIEE's current activities cover several stages of education and early professional development. It provides semester, summer, and short-term college study-abroad experiences; high-school exchange and study programs; teaching-abroad placements; internships and trainee opportunities; camp-counselor and teacher exchanges; educator programs; and gap-year or first-year-abroad options. Programs are delivered in collaboration with host universities, local institutions, and CIEE study centers. They generally combine academic content with advising, cultural activities, local excursions, and opportunities for participants to develop intercultural skills. The organization operates in more than 45 cities across over 30 countries, with program locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Examples include London, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Cape Town, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, and Buenos Aires. Its participants include international students and young professionals coming to the United States as well as U.S. students and educators traveling abroad. CIEE reports approximately 50,000 annual participants across its programs. Governance is provided by a board of directors with experience in higher education and international education. In 2023, it established an International Program Advisory Council to provide additional guidance on program quality, development, and emerging issues in the field.

• 2023

  Established the International Program Advisory Council

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  CIEE created an advisory council of international-education administrators and faculty from partner universities to advise on program quality, development, and sector trends.

• 2015

  Launched the Open Campus Block Program

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  CIEE introduced its first Open Campus Block Program in Berlin and later expanded the flexible city-based study model to additional destinations.

• 2003

  Headquarters moved to Portland

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  CIEE relocated its U.S. headquarters from New York City to Portland, Maine.

• 1984

  J-1 Trainee category followed CIEE recommendations

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  The U.S. Department of State created the J-1 Trainee category following recommendations from CIEE, enabling structured internships and training for university students and recent graduates.

• 1969

  Began Summer Work Travel

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  After designation as the first sponsor of the J-1 Summer Work Travel category, CIEE launched the program now called CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel.

• 1967

  Adopted the CIEE name

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  The organization became the Council on International Educational Exchange, reflecting its shift from student travel toward a wider international-education mission.

• 1951

  Merger and expansion of educational activities

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  The Council on Student Travel merged with the Council on Correlation of International Educational Enterprises and established offices in New York City, broadening its work into orientation, academic exchange, and international-student support.

• 1947

  Founded as the Council on Student Travel

  [1]CIEEen.wikipedia.org

  CIEE was established after the Second World War as a consortium seeking to restore international student travel and educational exchange, especially between the United States and Europe.

A nonprofit international education and cultural-exchange provider that combines academic study, overseas work, professional training, and cultural immersion.

• Study abroad

  College Study Abroad

  CIEE provides semester, summer, and short-term study-abroad programs for university students. Programs are offered through CIEE study centers and partner institutions in cities across multiple regions. Depending on the destination, participants may take academic courses, study languages, join cultural activities, complete local excursions, and receive on-site advising designed to connect formal study with direct engagement in the host community.

• Cultural exchange and seasonal work · 1969

  CIEE BridgeUSA Summer Work Travel

  This J-1 cultural-exchange program enables university students from outside the United States to live and work in the country during academic breaks. In addition to seasonal employment, the program is intended to expose participants to American communities and culture. CIEE serves as a program sponsor and supports participant administration within the BridgeUSA framework.

• Secondary-school international education

  High School Abroad

  CIEE offers international study and exchange experiences for secondary-school students. These programs can involve language learning, classroom study, cultural immersion, and supervised activities in host countries. They extend CIEE's educational model to younger participants while providing structured support for students and families navigating an overseas experience.

• Teaching exchange

  Teach Abroad

  CIEE's teaching-abroad offerings connect participants with opportunities to teach or assist with English-language education in international settings. The broader portfolio also includes teacher exchange programs administered under the U.S. cultural-exchange framework. These services combine professional experience with cultural immersion and international classroom exposure.

• Professional exchange · 1984

  Internship and Trainee Programs

  CIEE administers internship and trainee opportunities for international students, recent graduates, and young professionals. Programs are designed to provide structured workplace learning and professional development while participants experience life in another country. U.S.-based offerings may operate within the J-1 cultural-exchange framework, including the Trainee category associated with CIEE's earlier policy work.

• Flexible study abroad · 2015

  Open Campus Block Program

  The Open Campus Block model organizes study abroad around flexible academic blocks in major cities. CIEE launched the first version in Berlin and subsequently extended the approach to destinations such as London, Paris, and Rome. The format is intended to give students greater flexibility in combining locations, academic themes, and periods of overseas study.

• 2015

  Introduced the Open Campus Block ProgramProduct launch

  Background

  CIEE sought to develop more flexible study-abroad formats that could be organized around city-based academic experiences.

  Action taken

  It launched the first Open Campus Block Program in Berlin.

  Aftermath

  The model was later extended to additional cities, including London, Paris, and Rome.

  Source

• 1967

  Repositioned around international educational exchangeStrategy

  Background

  The organization had expanded beyond its original student-travel activities into orientation, academic exchange, and international-student services.

  Action taken

  It adopted the name Council on International Educational Exchange, signaling a broader educational and intercultural mission.

  Aftermath

  The CIEE identity became associated with study abroad, cultural exchange, and related international-education services.

  Source

• Unconfirmed

  CIEE marks Work & Travel USA's 50th anniversary with social media campaign[3]CIEE 以社交媒体活动纪念 Work & Travel USA 五十周年prnewswire.com

  Reported: 2019-12-20

  CIEE conducted a social media campaign for Work & Travel USA's 50th anniversary, encouraging participants, employers and alumni to share memories using #CIEEWAT50.

1. 1CIEEen.wikipedia.org
2. 2CIEE official websiteciee.org
3. 3CIEE 以社交媒体活动纪念 Work & Travel USA 五十周年prnewswire.com