Info Sessions are online presentations providing an introduction to virtual exchange, the Stevens Initiative, and basic steps for getting involved in a program or starting a new one. This session will address key virtual exchange elements, ways to engage, and opportunities and resources for support. This session is intended for someone with little to no knowledge about the Stevens Initiative and/or virtual exchange, and gives a broad overview of both. In honor of International Education Week, this info session will dive deeply into pathways for bringing virtual exchange to young people, including Join a Program, Mobilize Youth Participation, and the Virtual Exchange Academy.

This event is part of our 2021 International Education Week Lineup. Access all IEW activities and announcements here.

Maryam Laly is a Program Associate at the Stevens Initiative. She works on the Initiative’s grant portfolio. Maryam graduated with a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, specializing in policy analysis with a focus on global education, gender, and migration policies. Alongside her studies, she managed the work of Bamyan Foundation, a non-profit that provides support for at-risk youth in Afghanistan through quality education and community engagement. From 2017-2018, she was a program coordinator at the Stevens Initiative, leading communication and events for the team. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government with minors in Peace Studies and Arabic from St. Lawrence University in New York. Maryam is passionate about values-based initiatives and creating equity in society, and she often writes about gender issues and minority rights in her home country, Afghanistan. In her spare time, she loves to cook, read, and explore new places.

Megan O’Donnell is a Program Associate at the Stevens Initiative. She works on the program’s partnership and outreach portfolio. She joins the Initiative from EAB, where she helped stand-up a public-private partnership called the Moon Shot for Equity to eliminate equity gaps in higher education across regions through carefully targeted best practices, technology, and support from local communities. Prior to that, Megan worked as a math teacher in the South and West sides of Chicago through different service year organizations. Megan graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Psychology, focused on Adolescent Psych, a minor in Theatre Performance, and a Certificate in Children’s Literature.