Who We Are
Jason Graham, Executive Director
At the age of 14, Jason traveled to Cordoba, Argentina to start his year as a Rotary Club exchange student. In flight, he sat next to an elderly woman who advised him, “if you’re not interested, you’re not interesting!” These wise words started Jason on a path of exploration throughout the Americas and the world.
After his high school year in Argentina, Jason spent university semesters in Fortaleza, Brazil and San Jose, Costa Rica. Upon graduating from Tufts University, he worked at Youth For Understanding International Exchange, preparing students to study abroad. Jason then completed a Masters degree in Public Affairs and Non-profit Management at the University of Washington, where he also managed the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program for visiting foreign scholars.
Jason has worked more than 25 years in the field of educational travel, developing, operating and leading scores of educational trips for non-profit organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History, Commonwealth Club of California, Harvard Alumni Association, Princeton Journeys, National Geographic Expeditions, Smithsonian Journeys, Stanford Travel/Study and the World Affairs Council. He also directed the World Leaders Symposium series, featuring dignitaries such as Madeleine Albright, James Baker, George H.W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, and William Perry.
Jason started Forum of the Americas to partner with educational, non-profit and public organizations to share understanding and expertise between the peoples of the Americas through educational journeys and exchanges.
Jason and his classmates at Colegio Manuel Belgrano in Cordoba, Argentina, 1986
Kim Austin, Director of Education
Kim has spent over 30 years working in education as a learning designer, with a background in educational psychology. She’s passionate about partnering with educators to design student-centered learning that’s engaging, authentic, and connected to the real world. Kim focuses on helping teachers create experiences that go beyond the classroom—where students learn by doing, connect with real audiences, and see the impact of their learning in meaningful ways. She believes travel and exchange programs offer powerful opportunities for students to grow, and she’s committed to helping teachers make those moments truly transformative. Kim has an EdM from Harvard University and a PhD in educational psychology from Stanford University. She is the author of Small Shifts: Cultivating a Practice of Student-Centered Teaching.
Testimonials
“Jason was the key player responsible for the success of the World Leaders Symposium series. As Director of World Leader Programs, he expertly juggled the development of the educational excursions, the handling of our keynote speakers such as Madeleine Albright, James Baker and George H.W. Bush, and the professional management of every aspect of each symposium from start to finish.”
- Don Kendall, Principal of World Leaders Travel
“Jason took great care of our travelers and worked hard with our professors to build trips that accurately reflected the educational themes of their lectures.”
- Brett S. Thompson, Director of Stanford Travel/Study