29 International and Domestic Travel Opportunities for Educators

It’s well known that summer vacation is a teacher benefit.

Educators spend their summers in different ways, but all share one goal: to relax and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Travel and study programs recognize this unique opportunity to engage educators in one-of-a-kind professional development opportunities—many far from home. These excursions aim to broaden educators’ horizons so they may enhance multicultural learning in the classroom.

We scoured the internet for travel opportunities specific to educators and found 20 international and domestic options. Start planning for summer 2027 now!
 

International

Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program (RLASP)
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Tallinn, Estonia; and Yerevan, Armenia 
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

This program provides in-class instruction in Russian grammar, phonetics, conversation and cultural studies. Educators can choose to apply for a semester, summer or academic year.
 

Bookbag Tours
Location: Kenya, Egypt, Peru
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Tour

Gain professional development through an immersive tour that empowers educators with hands-on global experiences to bring back to the classroom.

Brussels Study Tour
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

Through this study abroad experience, educators learn about the European Union, gaining firsthand knowledge of Europe that they can later implement into their curricula.
 

Ecology Project International
Location: Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Yellowstone
Audience: Environmental science/biology teachers and students
Format: Tour

This program pairs teachers and students to help scientists collect data and work with endangered wildlife. Programs include whale ecology, winter ecology, sea turtle ecology and more.
 

ESUTLab
Location: England
Audience: English teachers 
Format: Study

Live and learn on the famed campuses of Oxford and Edinburgh or discover Shakespeare in the context that brought his works to life—exploring his hometown in Stratford or performing on the stage of the Globe Theatre in London.
 

French for All Summer Institute 
Location: France
Audience: French teachers
Format: Study

This summer program trains educators in curriculum development, classroom management and use of resources specific to French Dual Language and Immersion programs.
 

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program
Location: Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, India, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Vietnam
Audience: Any independent K-12 educator 
Format: Study

Independent K-12 educators who take part in this program conduct research and engage in other professional learning experiences abroad for three to six months. There is also a short-term version of this program that lasts two to six weeks.
 

Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program
Location: Finland, Germany, Singapore, United Kingdom
Audience: Secondary-level school and district-level administrators 
Format: Study

U.S. secondary-level school and district-level administrators are invited to apply to this international cohort, which focuses on sharing best practices and learning from high-performing systems.
 

Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program
Location: Participating countries include Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal and Uruguay
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

This year-long professional development program includes an online course, a global symposium in Washington, D.C. and a two- to three-week international field experience.
 

Fund for Teachers
Location: Worldwide 
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

PK-12 educators have the opportunity to design their own professional learning, including choosing a country where their studies will take place.
 

GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program
Location: Armenia 
Audience: English and Social Studies teachers 
Format: Study

GenEd Teacher fellows spend 10 days in Armenia, engaging in academic and workshop sessions at AGMI’s museum, followed by afternoon field trips that support each workshop.
 

Global Exploration for Educators Organization
Location: Participating countries include Central Europe, Iceland, Morocco, China and more
Audience: Pre-K, K-12, college-level educators, administrators, retired educators and non-educator guests
Format: Tour

GEEO wants more teachers to study abroad and share their experiences with students, to help students better understand the world and its cultures.
 

Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship
Location: Rotating international locations
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

Through an opportunity with National Geographic, GTF selects educators to go on expeditions to bring geographic awareness into their classrooms and communities.
 

Keizai Koho Fellowship Tour
Location: Japan 
Audience: Social studies teachers
Format: Study/Tour

Fellows participate in lectures and visit cultural sites throughout Japan for two weeks, and are required to create a lesson plan based on what they have learned during the study tour.
 

National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA)
Location: East Asia
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

NCTA encourages and facilitates teaching and learning about East Asia in elementary and secondary schools nationwide by providing diverse workshops, seminars, programs and tours for educators to engage in.
 

NEA Global Learning Fellowship 
Location: Rotating international selection 
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

This opportunity helps teachers encourage more global competency in the classroom.
 

Teach Earth Fellowship
Location: Opportunities across five continents 
Audience: Science teachers
Format: Study

Expeditioners work with scientists to help conserve the Earth, putting teachers at the center of global research and conservation efforts.
 

Traveling Teachers
Location: Various international opportunities 
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Tour

These affordable trips come with itineraries balanced with exploration, relaxation and education. All trip packages are created and led by teachers.
 

Transatlantic Outreach Program
Location: Germany 
Audience: STEM and social studies educators
Format: Study/Tour

TOP provides curriculum and study tour experiences relevant to contemporary Germany for specific multiplier groups of North American educators working in social studies and STEM.

Domestic  

Division of Education Professional Development Programs
Location: Various U.S. states
Audience: Humanities 
Format: Study

The NEH Division of Education supports professional development programs for K-12 educators, higher education faculty and humanities professionals to study various humanities topics.
 

EARTH (Education and Research: Testing Hypotheses)
Location: A different state each year
Audience: Science teachers 
Format: Study

A workshop series, EARTH connects educators with scientists and engineers to understand and integrate modern data sets into classroom lessons.
 

Gilder Lehrman
Location:  Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia
Audience: History teachers
Format: Study

History educators have an opportunity with world-renowned scholars to help deepen their understanding of the United States.
 

George Washington Teacher Institute Summer Residential Program
Location: Mt. Vernon, Virginia 
Audience: U.S. History teachers
Format: Study

Each summer, Mt. Vernon hosts U.S. history teachers for a five-day immersive professional development experience focused on deepening understanding of the 18th Century and incorporating it into curricula.
 

Monticello Teacher Institute (MTI)
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia 
Audience: Social Studies teachers
Format: Study

Social studies teachers have an opportunity to study the complex history of Jefferson and Monticello, including race, slavery and freedom through group excursions and discussions with leading Jefferson scholars.
 

Seed Your Future 
Location: Chicago
Audience: High school STEM educators 
Format: Study

Teachers working in STEM-related subject areas are invited to apply for this expenses-paid opportunity to explore horticulture, floriculture and other areas of green industries.
 

Smithsonian National Education Summit
Location: Washington, D.C.
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study

The free, three-day format invites educators across the nation to gather and discuss STEAM solutions for civic challenges, placing history in context, leveraging arts as a civic voice and more.
 

Teachers at Sea 
Location: Alaska, New England, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Islands, Southeast, West Coast
Audience: Any full-time teacher
Format: Study/Tour

Teachers join a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research and survey ship to gain clearer insight into our ocean planet, deepen their understanding of maritime work and studies, and increase their environmental literacy.
 

Teaching World War II Summer Teacher Professional Development 
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana 
Audience: K-12 educators
Format: Study

K-12 educators are invited to apply for this weeklong program to gain a better understanding of World War II and learn how to use resources from The National WWII Museum to enhance lesson planning.  
 

White House History Teacher Institute 
Location: Washington, D.C.
Audience: History teachers
Format: Study

This immersive, five-day professional development program connects teachers with the White House Historical Association to conduct discussions with historians, visit local sites and more.

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.