Advancing Camp Education around the world
CEI’s projects bring camp education into new communities, institutions, and national conversations. Through global partnerships, professional learning, research, and direct collaboration, we help leaders strengthen camp practice, expand its reach, and demonstrate its lasting value for young people. Explore our featured and upcoming work to see how CEI is connecting people, exchanging knowledge, and building the future of camp education around the world.
Uzbekistan
Spring 2026
In May 2026, CEI traveled to Uzbekistan at the invitation of the Department for the Organization of Children’s Recreation and Health, part of the country’s broader effort to expand and strengthen camp opportunities for children nationwide. CEI met with senior government and education leaders in Tashkent to explore how camp education can support youth development, staff quality, program design, and a consistent national vision for children’s recreation.
CEI also delivered a two-day professional development program for more than 100 camp directors and senior professionals, introducing practical tools for staff leadership, intentional program design, child development, and camp culture. The visit continued through Bukhara and Samarkand, where CEI toured camps, met regional leaders, and gained a deeper understanding of Uzbekistan’s traditions, priorities, and ambitions for the future of camp. The exchange laid the groundwork for continued collaboration around training, curriculum, research, and national capacity-building.
China
Spring 2026
In April 2026, CEI completed its first official visit to China, building relationships with camp leaders and exploring how camp education is developing across the country. Hosted first by AGO Camp Education in Hangzhou, CEI delivered staff training, toured program facilities, and engaged in extended conversations about child development, staff practice, and the broader impact of intentional camp experiences. In Shanghai, CEI also met with education and commerce officials at the U.S. Consulate General and visited Sportsworld and YMCE Camps, learning from experienced leaders who have brought camp-style programming to hundreds of thousands of Chinese young people.
The centerpiece of the visit was Oriental Land, one of the largest camp education facilities in the world. CEI toured its 5,000-acre campus, observed large-scale experiential learning programs, and joined approximately 25 senior leaders for a two-hour summit on the past, present, and future of camp education. The visit established a strong foundation for continued collaboration, professional learning, and the development of China-based models that can inform the global camp education field.
Made Impact Summit at the UN
August-September 2026
In August and September 2026, Camp Education International joined the inaugural Made Impact Summit in New York City, a global convening organized around the vision of A Unified Voice for Global Exchange. The Summit brought together leaders from international education, cultural exchange, travel, youth development, and related fields to consider how meaningful human experiences can contribute to individual development, greater understanding, and a more connected world.
CEI facilitated Deconstructing Walls, a camp-inspired experiential session built around a principle central to Camp Education: belonging and connection are created through what people experience and do together. Through movement, play, partnership, challenge, reflection, and storytelling, participants experienced the progression that makes intentionally designed camp experiences so powerful.
The following day, the Summit continued at United Nations Headquarters, culminating in the Unification Vote: A Sector Mobilized. Representatives from across international education and exchange came together to formally support a shared message about the importance and potential of global exchange. CEI Co-Founder Stuart Jones was one of six sector leaders invited to deliver a formal ratification, alongside leaders representing international exchange, language education, hostelling, youth service, and other parts of the broader field.
Brazil
Upcoming - Spring 2027
In Spring 2027, CEI will convene school leaders and educators in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo for a focused exploration of how camp education can strengthen elite secondary education. The program will bring together representatives from leading schools to examine how intentionally designed experiences can develop resilience, leadership, confidence, collaboration, and social-emotional skills alongside academic achievement.
Through professional learning, facilitated discussion, and direct engagement with educators, parents, and students, CEI will help participants consider how camp-inspired approaches can be integrated into school culture, student life, and leadership development. The visit will also deepen CEI’s understanding of the Brazilian education landscape and create a foundation for future partnerships, research, and school-based models of camp education.