Global Citizenship and the Power of Travel with Lily Fu

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Lily Fu, a lifelong educator and global leader whose story is both inspiring and thought-provoking.Lily grew up surrounded by education—her parents were both teachers in Taiwan—and from a young age, she carried that same passion into her own teaching career in Japan and Taiwan. But her journey didn’t stop in the classroom. Lily went on to play a key role in building executive education programs for Harvard Business School in China and expanding the global footprint of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with programs reaching as far as Dubai and Singapore. Today, she continues her work in global education at the New England Innovation Academy, where she helps students grow as curious, entrepreneurial thinkers and global citizens.In our conversation, we explored:Her roots in education – and how her upbringing shaped the way she sees global learning today.Moving from teaching to building partnerships at Harvard and MIT, and what she carries from those experiences into her current role.Defining global citizenship for American students and why it matters now more than ever.How to design student travel with purpose—beyond sightseeing—to create authentic cultural engagement.How school leaders can support global programs, even when travel feels optional in tight budgets.Stories of partnerships abroad that have transformed the way her students see the world.The everyday impact of travel, and how students bring those experiences back into their learning and problem-solving.Creating a curriculum without borders, where global thinking is woven into everyday study.One of the themes that kept coming up in our conversation is something I deeply believe in too: travel is the ultimate teacher. It shapes us, challenges us, and gives us the courage to see the world through new perspectives. Lily’s insights into how to integrate travel into education—in meaningful, lasting ways—are ones I know every teacher, parent, and student will benefit from hearing.Tune in, and get ready to be inspired by Lily’s story and her vision for global learning.If you are looking for additional resources that will help market and build your travel program, be sure to buy The Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit to help grow and expand your world travel program.Looking for more resources? The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle has everything you need to lead a successful world travel program!