Beyond the Tourist Trail: People, Place, & Perspective
What does it mean to travel responsibly in an ever-changing world?
Croatia’s Dalmatian coast offers a compelling place to explore that question. From the overtourism pressures facing Dubrovnik to communities preserving local traditions and protecting coastal environments, Ex-Ed Leaders Abroad 2027 invites educators to think critically about how, where, and why we travel.
Over eight days, we’ll explore responsible global education in practice: considering the impacts of tourism, stepping beyond the traditional tourist trail, engaging meaningfully with local communities, and reflecting on how we design travel experiences that benefit learners while respecting the places that host us.
2027 program details
Location: Croatia
Length: 8 days
Dates: July 6-13, 2027
Group size: 15
Cost: $0! The vast majority of in-country costs are covered by Insight’s Professional Development Grant for educators. Educators are responsible for some meals as well as flights to/from Croatia.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis (please see eligibility criteria below).
Program themes
- Overtourism & Responsible Travel
- Dalmatian Culture & Living Traditions
- Coastal Conservation & Stewardship
Pro-D sessions
- Best Practices in Experiential Learning
- Location Scouting and Familiarization
- Risk Management
Your Professional Learning Journey
Ex-Ed Leaders Abroad extends beyond the eight days you’ll spend in Croatia. The experience begins months before departure and continues after you return home.
March–June
Build relationships with your cohort and establish a shared foundation through six virtual professional development and program preparation sessions, held approximately every 3–4 weeks.
Estimated schedule:
- Mid-March: Welcome & Cohort Connection
- Early April: Responsible Travel & Overtourism
- Late April: Experiential Learning & Program Design
- Mid-May: Student Preparation & Facilitation
- Early June: Risk Management in Educational Travel
- Late June: Final Croatia Preparation
July 6–13
Local workshops, site visits, cultural experiences, and conversations will provide opportunities to put our learning into practice. Each evening, we’ll come together for a facilitated group debrief focused on a question of the day and what our experiences might mean for our work as educators.
Fall 2027
Reconnect with your cohort at the beginning of the new school year to reflect on the experience and develop an action plan for applying your learning within your own school or programs.
Participation in the pre-departure learning series, in-country reflections, and post-program reflection is an expectation of acceptance into the program.
The Journey
Transfer to Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast and move from conversation into experience.
Arrive in Dubrovnik and meet your cohort in person.
Explore Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-listed Old Town on foot, discovering its architecture, history, and legacy as a powerful maritime republic. Then, experience the city from above with a walk along its famous City Walls.
As we explore one of Croatia’s most recognizable destinations, we’ll begin with a question that will follow us throughout the program: How can we experience the places we travel to without simply consuming them?
Gather in the evening for a welcome dinner.
Meet with the Dubrovnik Tourist Board to explore overtourism, visitor management, preservation, and the complex relationship between tourism and the local economy.
Later, step outside the busy Old Town for a hands-on Mediterranean arboriculture workshop at Arboretum Trsteno, surrounded by centuries-old trees and terraced gardens overlooking the Adriatic.
Travel beyond Dubrovnik into the Konavle countryside to explore traditions and foodways that continue to shape local identity.
Take part in a traditional silk-making workshop before gathering around the table for a hands-on peka cooking experience, learning how this traditional Dalmatian meal is prepared before sharing it together.
Travel north along the Dalmatian coast, stopping in the historic fortified village of Klis before continuing to Krka National Park.
Explore the park’s waterfalls, Mediterranean vegetation, walking trails, and natural and cultural heritage before continuing to Šibenik.
Explore Šibenik’s architectural heritage through its Cathedral Interpretation Centre and UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St. James.
Then, travel to Murter Island for a community-based environmental education workshop with Argonauta’s Eco Patrol for Youth program, exploring marine and coastal conservation and locally led approaches to environmental stewardship.
After several full program days, participants will have a free day to rest or explore independently. Optional experiences will be available for those who would like to continue exploring the region.
These may include a boat trip through Kornati Islands National Park, a visit to Zlarin Island and its Coral Museum, a relaxing beach day, or a guided kayaking adventure along the Adriatic coast. Or, design your own experience with guidance from our local team!
Optional activities are at participants’ own expense.
Head inland to experience a side of Dalmatia many visitors never see.
Cycle at an easy pace through the Dalmatian hinterland, passing stone villages, olive groves, and rolling countryside.
Later, visit the Dalmatian Dog Museum and enjoy free time in Šibenik before coming together for a farewell dinner and travelling to Split for the final overnight.
Wake up in Split before beginning your journey home.
Leave Croatia with new questions, perspectives, and practical approaches for designing travel that encourages students to engage more thoughtfully with the world around them.
Why Ex-Ed Leaders Abroad?
Bring It Back to Your School
Return home with new approaches to responsible travel and experiential learning, along with an action plan for applying your learning within your own school community.
Learn With Other Educators
Join a small cohort of educators who share a commitment to meaningful learning beyond the classroom. Exchange ideas, discuss challenges, and learn from one another throughout the experience.
Build your network
Develop meaningful connections with educators from around the world as we explore and share best practices in experiential learning.
Since 2023, Insight has fully funded 45 educators to join us on our Leaders Abroad programs. This year, we will welcome 15 more educators from across the world, bringing best practices and experiences together from a variety of perspectives.
Program Cost
Funded by Insight Global Education
Ex-Ed Leaders Abroad is made possible through Insight’s Professional Development Grant for educators.
Insight covers the vast majority of in-country program costs for accepted participants, making this immersive international professional development opportunity available at a fraction of its actual program cost.
Inclusions
- 7 nights of accommodations based on double occupancy
- Private ground transportation throughout the program
- All included activities, workshops, and site visits
- Daily breakfast and lunches
- 3 dinners
- Local guide and Insight team support
- Six virtual pre-departure professional development sessions
- In-country professional development and facilitated reflection
- Post-program reflection and learning session
- Round-trip airfare to Croatia & airport transfers.*
- Required travel insurance
- Optional activities during the free day
- Meals not included in the program
- Optional single-room supplement
- Personal expenses and discretionary gratuities
*The program begins in Dubrovnik and ends in Split. Both cities have international airports.
Eligibility
To participate you must:
- Have a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date.
- Have not had another staff member at your school participate in the last two years.
- Be currently working at the intersection of student travel and experiential learning at your school.
