our impact
Through experiential learning and immersive international travel in conflict-affected regions, CIEL inspires critical thinking and creative engagement to counter division and polarization
our Impact at a Glance
800+
Alumni
Impacted
Total number of participants since 2008 (CIEL + former Olive Tree Initiative programs)
15+
partner universities
Cross-cultural meetings and local engagements with politicians, giv officials, researchers, victims, NGOs
1000+
dialogues facilitated
Cross-cultural meetings and local engagements with politicians, giv officials, researchers, victims, NGOs
10+
thematic
programs
Conflict Analysis, Governance, Reconciliation, Migration, Post-colonialism, Trauma, WWII memory & EU reform…
120+
institutions engaged
NGOs, government agencies, universities, research institutions and community partners
9+
countries across 3 continents
Middle East, Northern Ireland, Vietnam and Cambodia, France and Germany and the US / Mexico border
understanding impact
How We Assess It
Our impact is assessed through longitudinal alumni tracking, structured reflections, and post-program evaluations that combine qualitative and quantitative methods. We gather:
Pre/post-program reflections and surveys to trace growth in critical thinking and intercultural competence.
Long-term career trajectory data to measure influence on academic and professional pathways.
Participant-generated media (video reflections, essays, and feedback) to capture qualitative insight.
We work in conversation with frameworks from global citizenship education, experiential learning theory, and conflict transformation literature to analyse and adapt our program design.
How We Define it
At CIEL, we approach impact not as a static outcome but as an evolving process of intellectual, civic, and professional transformation. Our programs are designed around experiential learning theory, critical pedagogy, and intercultural dialogue — placing participants in structured, reflective engagement with complex political and historical realities.
We define meaningful impact across three interrelated dimensions:
Cognitive: the ability to critically analyse conflict narratives, power structures, and historical accountability.
Interpersonal: increased empathy, active listening skills, and the capacity to engage across ideological and cultural divides.
Professional: the transfer of field-based learning into careers in diplomacy, development, law, peacebuilding, and public policy.
Alumni Pathways & Outcomes
Since 2008, over 800+ alumni have participated in CIEL and former Olive Tree Initiative programs. They’ve gone on to shape public discourse, policy, and humanitarian practice around the world.
Where Our Alumni Work:
U.S. Department of State
United Nations
European External Action Service
International Crisis Group
Yale Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford, Sciences Po
Human Rights Watch, UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders
The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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Kevin D. Pham — From Skateboarding to Political Theory
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Maia Ferdman — Building Belonging Through Dialogue
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Shannon Thomas — From Berkeley to Grassroots Peacebuilding
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Sophia Gomelsky — From Wyoming to International Learning
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Roxanne Aguilera — From Learning Abroad to Leading Abroad
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in their words
“CIEL made me re-evaluate what diplomacy means. It’s not just negotiation — it’s listening to stories you disagree with and still building trust.”
— Sophia, University of Wyoming, 2024
“This experience taught me the complexities of conflict and reconciliation in a way no textbook or classroom ever could. Northern Ireland, in particular, challenged my assumptions about peace, justice, and violence. It offered a new lens through which to understand conflict — one that humanised the lived realities of division and struggle.”
— Henrique, Georgetown University, 2025
“The structure of the CIEL program genuinely encouraged openness. All sides were given space to be heard — not just presented, but engaged with. It made clear how rarely that happens in other settings, and how essential it is for meaningful learning.”
— Gabby, Georgetown University, 2025
“The program confirmed my interest in diplomacy — not just as statecraft, but as the ability to build bridges between divided voices. It made me want to work in spaces where dialogue is fractured and to help create structures where it can be restored”
— Abby, Chapman University, 2024
“The personal growth I experienced through the Israel/Palestine trip was absolutely invaluable. More students should have the chance to engage with the world this way — not through textbooks, but through real people and real conversations”
— Michael, Chapman University, 2025
