In this special episode of Why Distance Learning, the tables turn—Seth Fleischauer steps into the guest seat as co-hosts Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell interview him about the purpose, design, and future of Global Learning Live, Banyan Global Learning’s next-generation experiential global learning program. They explore what authentic global learning really requires in today’s classrooms—and why the medium of live virtual learning matters more than ever.

Most schools want to build cultural competence, empathy, and real-world communication skills, but:

• Finding reliable global partners is inconsistent and often falls apart mid-year.
• Language learners rarely get opportunities to use English in meaningful, real-world contexts.
• Teachers lack simple, low-prep ways to bring global learning into existing schedules.
• Field trips and international travel are expensive and inaccessible for most students.

The result? Global learning remains an aspiration, not a system.

However, Banyan's Global Learning Live is structured, scalable model that connects students worldwide through live field trips, global collaborations, and authentic showcase moments. Seth shares how 20 years of partnership with Tsai Hsing School led to the creation of an experiential cycle that prepares students not only for academic success, but for a rapidly changing, interconnected world.

What the program delivers:

• Live Virtual Field Trips
  Bringing students into real places—Portland bridges, Renaissance fairs, and more—with authentic “whoa” moments that make learning unforgettable.
• Global Student Collaborations
  Cohorts, not brittle partnerships—designed to reduce dropout risk, increase diversity, and ensure ELL accessibility.
• Authentic Purpose for Language Learning
  English isn’t a worksheet—it becomes the tool students use to communicate across borders and share their original ideas.
• A Low-Overhead, High-Impact Design
  Schools can join four-week pilots with one live class per week + a showcase and asynchronous global exchange.
• ELL-Ready, Teacher-Friendly Materials
  Built to make participation meaningful for all levels, not just native speakers.

Impact to date:

• More than 42,000 student years of distance learning delivered.
• Students report increased confidence expressing original ideas in English.
• Meaningful growth in perspective-taking, curiosity, and cultural competence.

Practical steps educators can take—whether or not they join the pilot.

1. Bring the world into your classroom through personal live video.
Use your own life, community, or experiences as cultural text. Even small shifts build perspective-taking.

2. Integrate short, purposeful global exchanges.
Asynchronous collaboration—sharing artifacts, reflections, or questions—can be powerful without live schedules aligning.

3. Join the Global Learning Live Spring Pilot.
Schools receive a free 4-week experience including:

• One weekly live session
• A live virtual field trip
• A collaborative artifact exchange
• Access to a global cohort of classrooms across continents

4. Start planning for sustained global engagement.
Seth describes the future vision: a global network with diverse cohorts, built-in supports for ELL learners, and eventually a FERPA-compliant platform designed for authentic collaboration at scale.

Episode Links

• Global Learning Live – Spring Pilot Sign-Up
• CILC.org – Schedule Virtual Field Trips, Including Banyan's Bridges of Portland Trip

Educators often assume that clubs, activities, and school culture must happen in person—that building belonging in virtual learning is limited or even impossible. Many imagine distance learners as isolated kids behind screens, missing the social experiences that shape identity, leadership, and community.

But what if that assumption is simply wrong?

In this conversation, Cindy Carbajal, a 20-year veteran of Pearson Virtual Schools, shows us how vibrant, student-driven communities thrive online through thoughtful structure, flexible engagement pathways, and opportunities for real agency.

Cindy oversees a global clubs and activities program serving 11,000+ students across time zones, grade levels, and cultural backgrounds. Her work demonstrates that:

1. Student-Centered Design Fuels Real Belonging

• Clubs are built with a goal that at least 50% of live time is student talk time—not passive listening.
• Students share, present, lead, and create—driving engagement and ownership.
• Broad-topic clubs (like Art Club instead of Crochet Club) help students discover unexpected interests and communities.

2. Flexible Models Match Virtual Students’ Real Lives

• Every offering includes both synchronous and asynchronous pathways, ensuring access regardless of schedules, time zones, or family obligations.
• Live sessions build community; asynchronous challenges deepen skills and allow for self-paced exploration.

3. Clubs Quietly Reinforce Academic & Durable Skills

Cindy calls it “stealth learning”:

• Math skills reinforced in esports strategies.
• Reading skills strengthened through participation logistics and peer review.
• Executive functioning, digital communication, and leadership built through planning, presenting, and collaborating.

4. Data Drives Program Evolution

Her team measures:

• Enrollment and attendance
• Student and caregiver satisfaction
• Withdrawal trends
• Overlap between global clubs and local school clubs
  These insights help fine-tune offerings and spark new opportunities—like peer tutoring, reading buddies, and esports leagues.

How Educators Can Apply These Insights Today

1. Start with the student experience—not the content.

Ask: Where can students lead? Where can they share? How can this be theirs?

2. Build broad entry points.

Instead of a niche club for each interest, create umbrellas where kids can explore together.

3. Don’t replicate in-person school—capitalize on what’s uniquely possible online.

Global reach, time-zone diversity, virtual volunteer opportunities, and student leadership that scales across schools—these are advantages brick-and-mortar can’t match.

4. Teach students how to interact online.

Cindy’s programs explicitly teach:

• How to give feedback in writing and art clubs
• How to share space respectfully
• How to show kindness online (Kindness Club!)

5. Track what matters.

Attendance, satisfaction, enrollment, and student stories help shape future offerings.

Episode Links

• Pearson Virtual Schools — Learn more about their virtual school network and programs, including Cindy's Global Clubs.

Host Links

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities at CILC.org with hosts Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

In this episode of Why Distance Learning, hosts Seth Fleischauer, Tami Moehring, and Allyson Mitchell welcome Cassie Bride, Director of School Programs, and Lauren Yockel, School Programs Education Specialist at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). Together, they explore how one of the nation’s most renowned cultural institutions is transforming museum education through live virtual programming—making world-class art accessible to students anywhere.

Museums have long been seen as places you must visit in person to truly experience their magic. But how can educators bring the depth, texture, and storytelling of art to students who may never set foot in a gallery? Traditional outreach—slideshows, static images, or “loan boxes”—often fails to capture the atmosphere, intimacy, and discovery of the real museum experience.

Cassie and Lauren share how the MFA Boston reimagined its approach by taking students inside the galleries through interactive live video sessions. Using simple technology—an iPad on a mobile tripod—they bring artworks, curators, and educators directly to classrooms. Students not only see art up close but also hear the sounds of visitors and experience the living energy of the museum.

They discuss how this approach:

• Deepens students’ curiosity and contextual understanding of art.
• Extends the museum’s mission by reaching beyond geography and accessibility barriers.
• Creates hybrid experiences where virtual and in-person visits enrich one another.
• Builds relationships—teachers and students often recognize Lauren as a “celebrity” when they visit in person!
• Strengthens collaboration with Boston Public Schools, ensuring alignment between curriculum, distance learning, and professional development.

For educators and cultural organizations, the MFA’s model offers a powerful lesson: distance learning doesn’t replace the field trip—it multiplies it. Start small. Use simple, mobile setups. Focus on creating authentic connections rather than high-tech production. Whether you’re teaching art, science, or history, virtual access can spark awe, equity, and engagement in ways that complement, not compete with, in-person learning.

Episode Links:

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – Distance Learning Programs

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.
2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.