About

History

yPIE DC was founded in 2011 by Mary Catherine (Scarborough) Chase, then working at the British Council, and Janice (Mulholland) Wait, then at NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Young professional groups are nothing new in DC, but before 2011, one did not yet exist for international education. Young professionals in all fields look to connect with each other, deepen their understanding of the field, and discover new professional development opportunities. Mary Catherine and Janice recognized this need in the field of international education and committed themselves to create a space to facilitate these connections and development.

yPIE DC started with happy hours and quickly gained momentum. Members saw opportunities to schedule regular events and expand beyond happy hour networking. The Board was created not long after yPIE DC’s founding to guide the growth and development of the organization. Our strategic goals drive us to provide opportunities for local young professionals and students studying international education to network, discuss emerging trends and issues, share career opportunities, and develop new skills. We now have approximately 1,000 people in our LinkedIn group and our board continues to grow to meet their needs.

What is international education?

International education fosters an international orientation in knowledge and attitudes and, among other initiatives, brings together students, teachers, and scholars from different nations to learn about and from each other. International education also includes the analysis and description of such activities.1

yPIE DC members work in diverse aspects of international education, including (but not limited to):

  • Study abroad and academic exchange
  • Professional exchange
  • Capacity building
  • International students and scholars
  • International development
  • Education in emergencies
  • Citizenship education
  • Service and experiential programs abroad
  • Foreign language learning
  • Area studies
  • Cross-cultural training
  • Internationalization of US Education

1Epstein, E. H. (1994). Comparative and international education: Overview and historical development, in Husen, Torsten, and Postlethwaite, T. Neville (eds), The International Encyclopedia of Education, 2nd edition, Oxford, pp. 918-23