Education Revolution: Christine Shiau Of Stevens Initiative On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
Unconventional partnerships are immensely important to grow and scale the movement of virtual exchange. The greatest impact can come from unexpected places. Collaborating across sectors — whether with youth serving organizations, tech companies, or civic leaders — can accelerate our mission and bring new perspectives that will help us solve complex challenges.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Christine Shiau, Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative.
Christine Shiau is a dynamic leader serving as Executive Director of the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute. With a profound passion for empowering young people and fostering cross-cultural understanding, she spearheads the Initiative’s vision and mission to drive transformative change, fostering rising generations of globally competent and culturally aware leaders. In addition to her pivotal role at the Stevens Initiative, Christine actively contributes to the international exchange community. She serves on the boards of the Alliance for International Exchange, AMP Global Youth, Podium Education, and DCPS Global Education, reflecting her commitment to enhancing global education and intercultural connections.
The Stevens Initiative, a program of the Aspen Institute, is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together for dialogue and discovery through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is building a better tomorrow by championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing the field of virtual exchange.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
Growing up, I was not really someone who initiated connection — I was more reactive, go-with-the-flow when it came to relationships with others. I was very sociable and had lots of friends but I often felt disconnected.
It was from this place of disconnection where I learned the importance and nuance of feeling a true bond with others and the dynamics that often keep people distant. So many people feel isolated today and that worries me. When we stop talking and connecting, humanity falls apart.
I understand the significance of creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and understood, which has given me a unique lens to see the world. I value the work I have done throughout my career, not only because I want to build bridges and connections but because I intimately acknowledge the importance of real belonging.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
My career shifted during my first trip to Morocco — which was also my first experience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region so central to our work. It was there I saw first-hand the value of the work I am so passionate about.
My time in Morocco was not only an important professional obligation, but also a personal awakening. I found myself sitting in a circle with young girls who had participated in one of our virtual exchange programs. We shared our dreams, ideas, and questions. This experience was both inspiring and humbling.
It was my “aha” moment: the power of virtual exchange isn’t confined to face-to-face interactions; it transcends physical borders. These young girls had never left their hometowns, yet they were already thinking globally. Virtual exchange isn’t about being well traveled. It’s about being open, curious, and willing to step into the unknown — even through a zoom call.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I see myself as an advocate for education rather than an authority, particularly for accessible and substantive global education experiences. However, through this work, I certainly aim to bring the Stevens Initiative to the forefront of the field as an authority for championing global citizenship, empowering future leaders, and advancing virtual exchange for young people all over the globe. We support virtual exchange programs that provide educators and facilitators with low-burden options to bring global learning to the classroom and beyond. These programs give young people the opportunity to engage in life-changing, cross-cultural experiences with peers around the globe.
The Stevens Initiative has helped hundreds of thousands of young people worldwide experience virtual exchange. During my time as executive director, I have witnessed firsthand how virtual exchange has the power to enhance the global competency of our participants through diverse educational programming — STEM, language learning, entrepreneurship, sustainability, global affairs and more — helping them to build a valuable toolbox of hard and soft skills in preparation to become the next generation of leaders in any capacity.
Beyond my work at the Stevens Initiative, I make sure to actively contribute to the virtual exchange and global learning community. I have served on the boards of the Alliance for International Exchange, AMP Global Youth, Podium Education, and DCPS Global Education, where I reinforce the importance and necessity of making access to global education and intercultural connections more widespread. Closely collaborating with other stakeholders in education and exchange makes me a better leader and enables me to keep a pulse on the successes and challenges in our field.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
Some of the brightest spots in the US education system are programs that level the playing field and help advance the whole student — academically and personally. Three areas in particular I’m optimistic about include:
- Policies supporting equality in education. Accelerating learning in our schools, ensuring access to a comprehensive and well-rounded education, strengthening supports for students’ mental health and wellbeing, empowering educators, expanding access to multilingual learning, and reimagining pathways to college and careers are all necessary for ensuring the next generation of leaders is well-equipped to succeed personally and professionally. For example, between 2016 and 2021, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition reported a 16% increase in the enrollment of dual language immersion programs. The U.S. education system, therefore, is working to expand multilingual learning opportunities and prepare students for a globalized workforce and society.
- The integration of social and emotional learning into the curriculum . The increased focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) is helping young people acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to develop healthy identities, manage emotions like empathy, and establish and maintain supportive relationships. This can be a critical component in advancing academic achievement. Studies are showing that students in schools with a strong SEL program that’s embedded in the curriculum are improving in academic core competencies.
- Efforts to restore digital accessibility in the classroom. The U.S. Department of Education recently released its 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP), which frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning. It’s vital that we address how students and educators can better access and utilize educational technology.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
I strongly believe equitable access to global experiences should not only be prioritized within our education systems, but easily accessible. Too often, the opportunity to connect with peers in other countries is limited to those with the time and the means to travel, study, and work abroad.
A challenge to widespread implementations of virtual exchange is the decentralized nature of the education system. This barrier could be greatly lowered if states included virtual exchange in their program and instruction standards, which could help unlock state and federal resources and make adoption of programming more seamless.
Currently, only about 10% of college students study abroad. We see virtual exchange as an accessible solution to this challenge. Virtual exchange creates a neutral “third space” where participants can learn about other countries, cultures, languages, and traditions. This knowledge can be used to build connections across continents, religions, and points of view.
This is vital in today’s world and for our future workforce. Employers are seeking individuals who not only bring the hard skills required for the job, but other critical skills, including collaboration, communication, digital literacy, foreign language proficiency, awareness of diverse perspectives, and civic and global engagement. Virtual exchange gives young people the ability to connect and collaborate across differences, which is best learned through exposure to other working styles, worldviews, cultures and values. Our programs provide real-world experience collaborating on projects that relate to young people’s academic and career interests, while modeling the cross-cultural settings they’ll encounter in the workforce.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
Virtual exchange makes it possible for anyone, including young people in low income, oftentimes underrepresented communities, in rural areas, and with unique challenges, to have meaningful international exchange experiences. This has the potential to dramatically level the playing field when it comes to gaining global perspectives and connections.
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, virtual exchange holds immense promise for enhancing cross-cultural collaboration and fostering meaningful interactions. By connecting participants from diverse geographical and socio-economic backgrounds through online platforms, it breaks down physical and financial barriers, enabling real-time collaboration and interactive learning. This approach not only fosters global understanding and digital communication skills but also adapts to various educational needs and scales efficiently.
One alumnus, Holden Garrison, comes to mind when I consider the impact of increasing access to global experiences through virtual exchange. Growing up in a rural community, Holden didn’t have many opportunities to interact with young people in other countries. Virtual exchange empowered Holden to enhance his area of study — global affairs — and expand his network globally, all without leaving his home state.
Reflecting on his experience, Holden said, “I think about my experience coming from a rural area, not having access to people from different cultures, the ability to expand my horizons, and increase my cultural awareness — virtual exchange enabled me to do that.”
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
As our world becomes more complex — the rise of global conflict, mental health epidemics, rapid technology advancements and more — we must consider how education must shift to best prepare today’s young people to contribute to civil society and the global business community tomorrow.
When I talk with Stevens Initiative stakeholders — educators, partners, and virtual exchange participants — there are a few parallels between our mission and what the field of education needs to better equip future generations.
- The top priority for educators is engaging and motivating students as they look to incorporate online learning in ways that offer unique experiences that are not just virtual solutions for standard requirements. Virtual exchange provides educators with a more accessible and seamless option to bring unique global learning opportunities to the classroom . Many programs are designed to integrate into existing curricula , which maximizes time and student benefit.
- We continue to hear from recruiters and employers about the evolving skills gap, and the need for cross-cultural competence. Virtual exchange helps to prepare the incoming workforce by ‘future proofing ’ their skill sets, allowing them to improve in a multitude of areas from cross-cultural collaboration to strategy implementation. More than half of leaders (57%) say their company needs more people with strategic thinking skills right now; 89% of employees serve on at least one global team. These are just two examples how a virtual exchange experience could help someone better navigate complexity within teams on a global scale. Through virtual exchange, Gen Alpha can gain the confidence to collaborate and contribute to what promises to be the most complex and diverse workforce of our time.
- From young people, specifically Generation Alpha, we see the desire to have engaging experiences combined with a high expectation of social responsibility. They will face a unique job market, with 65% working in jobs that don’t yet exist. They show a strong inclination toward careers in STEM fields and roles that contribute positively to the environment or society. With virtual exchange, Gen Alpha can better understand the interdependence of our problems and successes, which is critical to fostering a generation that shares a comprehensive understanding of the world we all inhabit, a deep awareness of our shared humanity, and a belief in our ability to make a difference.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
Through conversations with participants of virtual exchange and stakeholders of the community, we’re focused on showcasing the impact virtual exchange has on everyone involved.
The Stevens Initiative evaluates the programs we support for different gains in skills and perspectives, such as global competence. We continue to share effective practices and common challenges in virtual exchange with the field. As our work continues, we intend to continue supporting a range of research initiatives, including our own data collection projects and further assessing how virtual exchange directly affects workforce readiness.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
A long-standing challenge across the field is trying to increase awareness of virtual exchange overall. Its unique value proposition can be unfamiliar to audiences, but once people learn about virtual exchange, how it works, and the impact it has, they understand its importance — we just need more people to know about it and advocate for it. We are also navigating how to better translate that excitement into action. Widespread adoption of virtual exchange is our ultimate goal, but there are many hurdles: an education landscape where capacity and resources are limited, navigating different time zones, and a perceived competition with traditional study abroad programs. We envision a day where virtual exchange is commonplace in the experiences of young people around the world. Now, we are committed to creating the conditions necessary to scale access to programming.
We’re engaging Global Champions for virtual exchange to build reputational awareness in education and exchange around the offering, and tactics to expand programming to young people all over the world. We’re also investing in strategic partnerships with existing networks of young people globally who can benefit from virtual exchange programming.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
I think we all acknowledge technology can be a double-edged sword. Technology platforms and services are rapidly evolving with very little oversight. While it can be used to enhance opportunities for communication, connection and social support, innovations in technology without proper guardrails can also increase things like loneliness and disconnection, especially when it comes to young people, by replacing in-person relationships or creating unrealistic standards or expectations.
Over the last several years, I’ve heard from a handful of stakeholders that participating in virtual exchange would diminish further interest of in-person study abroad. However, we see that the opposite is true. In fact, virtual exchange participants have a heightened desire to participate in an in-person exchange program by expanding their worldview and appetite for cross-cultural engagement. Virtual exchange can also complement study abroad experiences in several ways and enhance the overall educational journey of students. Whether as a preparatory phase, a language practice opportunity, or a cost-effective supplement, virtual exchange expands access to learning opportunities for young people worldwide.
Finding a balance between technology-led, virtual experiences and physical interactions is important for young people’s development, both socially and emotionally.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
- Unconventional partnerships are immensely important to grow and scale the movement of virtual exchange. The greatest impact can come from unexpected places. Collaborating across sectors — whether with youth serving organizations, tech companies, or civic leaders — can accelerate our mission and bring new perspectives that will help us solve complex challenges.
- Adaptability is your greatest asset. In the different positions I’ve held, from junior to leadership, I’ve had to be adaptable to different work environments and organizational priorities. In the current educational landscape, change is constant and unpredictable. Virtual exchange models are becoming more diverse and innovative. Being open to different approaches, pedagogies, and partnerships allows you to pivot quickly in response to new realities. Change and uncertainty are opportunities to reinvent our ways of thinking and serve as catalysts for innovation. We must be adaptable to not only survive, but also to grow.
- Navigating complex systems requires patience. The education landscape is filled with bureaucracy and shifting priorities. When starting this work, I didn’t quite grasp how different and challenging it is to work in both public and private school systems due to bureaucracy, funding constraints, competing priorities, capacity, and many other complex issues. However, staying committed to navigating these systems often leads to an outcome that makes this investment worthwhile — more young people have access to life changing global experiences. We have to be patient in pursuing change but also relentless.
- The immeasurable power and importance of empathy, and how it can change the world. I’ve seen this firsthand through the many virtual exchange participants who have practiced and exemplified the power of empathy. At a time of significant political and cultural divides, leading with empathy has never been more critical.
- It’s just as much about the destination as it is about the journey of learning, growing, and never losing sight of the why. I’m grateful for each obstacle that has taught me resilience, and for every partnership that has opened new doors or new ways of thinking. Persistence will take you far, every small action adds up to something bigger — that’s how we will create change through our work.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.” — Bill Phillips
I think actions are just as important as setting intentions or aspirations alone. Actions are the true drivers of growth. I think you have to take control and ownership of your journey.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Legendary music producer, Rick Rubin.
He once said, “The universe is only as large as our perception of it. When we cultivate our awareness, we are expanding the universe. This expands the scope, not just of the material at our disposal to create from, but of the life we get to live.”
This quote encapsulates the experiences that have shaped my career and in turn my perception of the world. As we expand our perception and awareness of the world, the closer we are to bridging the divide that is holding us back from appreciating the people and culture around us.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
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Primary school teachers, college faculty, district superintendents, scout leaders, nonprofit program directors — anyone who works with young people to broaden their skills and horizons can bring virtual exchange to their communities. Visit stevensinitiative.org/ways-to-engage/ and stevensinitiative.org/resources to:
Join a program. Gain access to content, partnership networks, technology, facilitation training, and other forms of guidance and support.
Mobilize youth participation. Share open enrollment opportunities with young people who can participate on their own time, often from home.
Train for Virtual Exchange. Apply to participate in the Virtual Exchange Academy or explore our Training Hub to unlock capacity-building opportunities for educators, administrators, and education and exchange leaders reaching young people.
Design or implement a program. Access resources, training, and funding.
Access all of these engagement opportunities and resources at: https://www.stevensinitiative.org/ways-to-engage/
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold.
Education Revolution: Christine Shiau Of Stevens Initiative On Innovative Approaches That Are… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.