Washington, DC.  April 24, 2012.  The Global Campaign for Education US, based in Washington, DC. Is pleased to announce that Dr. Ed Gragert will be joining GCE-US as our new Director. “Ed brings an amazing wealth of experience in the fields of global education, network-building and advocacy over the past 25 years,” noted Joanne Carter, Co-Chair, GCE-US.  “We are excited to have Ed’s leadership in strengthening the GCE Coalition and helping to further build a constituency throughout the US in support of education globally.”    He previously served as the Executive Director of iEARN-USA. Since 1988, iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) has pioneered the use of innovative communications technology and teacher professional development to facilitate on-line collaborative project-based learning in elementary and secondary schools in the US and 130 other countries worldwide.

Ed also served as Executive Director of an international youth exchange program, ICYE-US, with high school and community service volunteer exchanges with some 30 countries.  He was one of the founders of CSIET (Council on Standards for International Educational Travel) and the Alliance for International Educational & Cultural Exchange. He also worked for the House International Relations Committee on US-Korean relations.

He has authored numerous articles and presented widely on global education issues.  He is a blogger on Huffington Post and has contributed chapters in several books on the role that technology can play to enhance teaching and learning internationally by engaging young learners in collaborative projects.  Ed received his PhD in Japanese and Korean history from Columbia University, focusing on the impact of colonialism on village landownership patterns.