From LOCAL Vision to GLOBAL Impact The Birth and Rise of AESA Global
In an era defined by rapid global interconnection, education systems are being called to prepare students not just for local success, but for meaningful participation in a complex, interconnected world. While many institutions are still exploring what this means, the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) has taken a decisive step forward, building a national model for global engagement rooted in public education.
At the center of this work is AESA Global, a growing international initiative that reflects both the evolution of educational leadership in the United States and a broader shift toward collaborative, cross-cultural learning.
But the story of AESA Global did not begin at the national level. It began with a single idea: that global learning should belong to every student, in every community.
Enter Jason Hiruo.
Where It Began: A Local Commitment to Global Understanding
Long before AESA Global became a national initiative, its foundation was shaped in classrooms and one community.
In Newtown, Connecticut, global education was not yet a system, nor a program. It was an aspiration. What existed were isolated opportunities, accessible to only a few. The question that emerged was simple, yet transformative,
What would it mean to make global learning part of everyday experiences for our students and teachers in a public education system?
In 2008, Assistant Principal, Jason Hiruo returned to Newtown High School from a transformative trip abroad that would bring home a partnership for exchange.
He was motivated to share his impactful experience with his learning community. That question of everyday global learning led to the creation of the Newtown International Center for Education (NICE), a district-wide effort designed to embed international partnerships and cross-cultural learning into the fabric of a public school system. It developed after-school language classes for community members, cultural fairs, weekend arts projects, and exchange activities with schools and organizations of France, India, Spain, China, and Japan.
Through the development of a foundation partnership with Liaocheng, China, students, educators, and families began to experience something deeper than exchange. They experienced connection. Over time, these relationships demonstrated that global education was not about travel alone. It was about trust, perspective, and shared learning. A volunteer NICE team and advisory council grew from support to necessity.
As one early reflection from a Newtown educator noted, this work was never about building a program,
"It was about building relationships. Deliberately, and over time." – Mr. Jason Edwards
From Program to Model: Building Systems That Sustain Global Learning
What began in Newtown evolved into something far more significant – a replicable model.
Global learning was no longer an enrichment activity. It became embedded: Across grade levels, across classrooms, and across the community.
Students engaged in sustained international collaboration. Educators examined their practice through global comparison. Each exchange encouraged more engagement. Exchange wasn't just fulfilling, it was purposeful for student futures. Families became active participants, hosting and supporting international students.
The success of this approach revealed a critical insight to Hiruo: Global education can be systemic, inclusive, and sustainable within public education.
This realization marked a turning point, from isolated innovation to scalable design. Hiruo was accomplishing a pathway in manageable pieces. The progress, often met with challenge, was only a hurdle as it was not yet systemic or embraced by all. However, the value was expanding, and the impact was advancing.
Scaling the Vision: The Emergence of ACES International
The next phase of growth came through regional leadership. Hiruo was recruited by Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES), a member of AESA, and the work expanded beyond a single district. Through the founding of ACES International, his mission of global education was formalized into a structured initiative capable of supporting multiple school systems. With the support of the ACES leadership, this was a defining moment in the evolution of the work.
For the first time, global engagement was positioned at the level of an educational service agency, designed not just for students, but for district leaders, educators, and systems of schools. A historic milestone followed with the establishment of a public education service center presence in Beijing. ACES International legally established an office to function in collaboration with institutions of Asia. This signaled a profound shift. Public education systems were no longer observers of global education. They were participants, partners, and contributors.
Over time, ACES International demonstrated that global learning could scale across regions, maintain quality and integrity, and remain grounded in relationships. It wasn't easy for a small team, but by 2023, the model had proven its value.
A National Platform: The Formation of AESA Global
In 2023, that model found its national home.
Through partnership with the Association of Educational Service Agencies, ACES International evolved into AESA Global, transforming from a regional initiative into a national platform for international collaboration.
This was not a rebranding. It was a structural expansion of purpose and possibility.
With a network of approximately 500 educational service agencies across 45 states, collectively reaching the vast majority of U.S. public school districts, AESA provided the infrastructure to begin scaling global engagement nationwide. By September 2025, AESA Global was announced to the national organization.
AESA Global became the international extension of this network, connecting:
- U.S. regional education systems
- International institutions
- Ministry of Education offices, universities, and schools around the world
Today, AESA Global facilitates:
- International educator field studies
- Student and teacher exchange programs (virtual and in-person)
- Global coordinator training and leadership development
- Institutional partnerships and system-level collaboration
- Curriculum co-design and professional learning across borders
What distinguishes AESA Global is not simply its reach, but its structure. It is designed to ensure that global work is intentional, reciprocal, and sustainable.
Hiruo's belief has become a collective mindset that "It is our responsibility to prepare our children for their world." which is embedded in the work of AESA Global.
A Guiding Principle: Local-to-Global and Global-to-Local
At the core of AESA Global's belief is a philosophy that continues to shape its work,
Local-to-Global. Global-to-Local. This belief reflects a fundamental principle that global learning must strengthen local communities and that local expertise has value on the global stage.
AESA Global isn't approaching international engagement as a one-way exchange but instead is cultivating mutual partnerships, shared innovation, and long-term collaboration. This approach ensures that participation in global work is not symbolic, but is meaningful, applied, and impactful.
The Work Today: Depth, Breadth, and Growing Influence
As AESA Global continues to develop, its work reflects both depth and scale. Across the United States, educational service agencies are engaging in global initiatives that:
- Broaden leadership perspective in how they prepare their institution and regions
- Expand instructional practice
- Build cultural intelligence
- Strengthen leadership capacity
- Prepare students for a global workforce
Internationally, AESA Global is forming partnerships that extend beyond individual programs by focusing instead on system-to-system collaboration.
These efforts now include:
- Joint professional learning initiatives
- Comparative education research and dialogue
- Long-term institutional partnerships
- Emerging innovation areas, including AI and global workforce readiness
Importantly, this work of AESA Global is not positioned as an addition to education. It is positioned as a necessary evolution of it.
Looking Ahead: A Global Future for Public Education
As AESA Global looks toward the future, its trajectory is clear. The organization is not simply expanding programs. It is building a framework for global engagement within public education systems at scale.
Through the AESA Global Advisory Council, new priorities were identified in 2026 that highlight the importance of increasing student engagement and advancing educator inclusion:
- Strengthen national coordination through trained global leaders
- Expand strategic partnerships across regions of the world
- Create more sustainable pathways for student and educator engagement
- Build a supportive system-level transformation through global insight and experience
In a time when education must respond to global challenges – economic, technological, and societal, AESA Global is representing a model of what is possible when systems choose to engage beyond borders.
A Movement, Not a Moment
What began in the single community of Newtown, Connecticut, has grown into a national and international movement.
From Newtown to Liaocheng, from ACES International to AESA Global, the journey reflects more than expansion. It reflects a redefinition of how public education can operate in a global context.
The work continues to return to its original idea:
Meaningful global engagement does not begin with distance. It begins with intention.
And when that intention is supported by structure, leadership, and partnership, education becomes more than preparation for the future, it becomes a force that helps shape it. Local-to-Global. Global-to-Local.
