The program is being conducted by PATHWAYS Institute for Negotiation Education, a non-profit organization focused on partnering with education systems and institutions to bring learning and practice of creative, problem-solving negotiation into education. The program is being run with support from the Stevens Initiative (see below for more details). 

The Stevens Initiative is an international effort to build global competence and career readiness skills for young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of virtual exchange. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is committed to helping to expand the virtual exchange field through three pillars of work: investing in promising programs, sharing knowledge and resources, and advocating for virtual exchange adoption. The Stevens Initiative has awarded 83 grants and, by summer 2023, will expand its reach to nearly 75,000 young people in 17 MENA countries and the Palestinian Territories, and in 47 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, one tribal community, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C.

The Stevens Initiative is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, and is administered by the Aspen Institute. It is also supported by the Bezos Family Foundation and the governments of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

In 2021, The Stevens Initiative announced support for 19 virtual exchange programs that will prepare young people to be leaders in our interconnected world. The 2021 Stevens Initiative Grantees will engage nearly 19,000 young people, middle school–aged to young professionals, in dynamic and innovative virtual exchange programs designed to promote connection and learning. Depending on the program, participants will learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, mental health, coding, COVID-19, and more through dialogue- and project-based activities.  

The Game Changers in Education program is open to enrollment by undergraduate education majors and pre-service teachers studying at partner universities and colleges. Universities must become official partners of the program for their students to be eligible to enroll. 

The program is covered by a grant from the Stevens Initiative. There is no cost to accepted partner institutions or students to participate. 

Through interactive exercises, role plays, and group work, students participating in the program will learn a problem-solving approach to negotiation developed at the Harvard Negotiation Project, which they can apply to their work in education. They will connect with peers from diverse backgrounds and build key professional and intercultural competencies. Students completing the program will receive certificates of completion and will be invited to enroll in the Department of State’s International Exchange Alumni Network and the Localized international professional development platform. Students will also receive invitations to additional learning, exchange, and networking opportunities from PATHWAYS and Empower Peace. 

Partner institutions in the U.S. recruit cohorts of students to participate in the program, create incentives for student participation, and supervise their students’ participation. Each partner school assigns one point person to help coordinate the program and students’ involvement. 

Through the program, partners will be able to provide their students with a unique, interactive, and rewarding virtual learning and international exchange experience – especially valuable during a time when international travel and exchange is limited.

Schools will be publicly recognized as partners of the Stevens Initiative and U.S. Department of State and gain visibility and access to additional exchange and networking opportunities.

Please complete the form below and we will be happy to discuss with you.

We are currently seeking  Massachusetts-based universities and colleges to join the program.

We currently have all spots filled in MENA for the upcoming edition, but to express interest in participating in potential future editions, please contact us.

Each semester’s program cycle opens with a week of asynchronous activities to get to know one another through creative videos and to establish our frame for “negotiation.” Eight 75-minute live workshop sessions on Zoom bring students together with their cohort (~ 36 students) twice a week over four-six weeks (often including a break for holidays). The cycle ends with an asynchronous week of creating and exchanging final videos with reflections and ideas for application.

The following is an outline of the current curriculum model. Synchronous program sessions include interactive joint exercises and role plays, as well as facilitated intercultural exchanges and discussions between participants from different countries and schools. Asynchronous sessions focus on creative intercultural communication using video to open a two-way window into participants’ schools, communities and perspectives. 

• Opening: To begin to get to know one another, participants share creative personal introduction videos giving a glimpse into their schools, lives and interests. Participants reflect on real-life negotiation scenarios and core values. 
• Know your Game – We will get to know each other and then, through interactive exercises and a high-stakes role play, explore key choices in negotiation and identify how our assumptions influence our results.
• Creative Negotiation – We will discover and experiment with the seven elements framework developed at the Harvard Negotiation Project through a variety of targeted exercises and role plays.
• Preparing to Negotiate – We will practice methodically preparing for a negotiation using the seven elements framework. Students will work in groups to practice team-based preparation and then conduct negotiations in pairs.
• Constructive Communication – We will take a deeper look at applying communication tools for understanding and navigating different points of view and for engaging in principled and productive influence and joint problem-solving.
• Looking Ahead – What impact can we have with these tools in our schools and communities? We will exchange insights and intentions as change-makers and leaders.
• Closing – All participants record and share a video in which they share reflections and insights from the program. At certain partner institutions, students write a brief reflection paper and  propose a teaching activity or educational initiative to bring to life values, concepts, and tools of the program in schools, communities, or the wider educational system.