We put the world inside the classroom.
For over 17 years, Banyan Global Learning has connected K–12 classrooms to real experts, authentic cultural experiences, and the global conversations that shape the next generation of citizens and thinkers.
Our story
Built on the belief that every student deserves a window to the world.
Banyan Global Learning was founded 17 years ago by Seth Fleischauer with a conviction that the most powerful learning doesn't happen in isolation, it happens in encounter: with different cultures, different perspectives, and different ways of seeing the world.
What started as a program to bring global voices into classrooms has grown into a full suite of live, expert-led learning experiences — virtual field trips to international locations, live cultural exchanges between students, and custom programs that meet schools where they are and take them somewhere new.
The name “Banyan” is intentional. The banyan tree doesn't grow straight up — it spreads outward, sends down roots from its branches, and creates a canopy wide enough for an entire community to gather under. That's what we're building: a canopy for global learning.
Learning is most meaningful when students connect what they learn to real people, real places, and real contexts.
What we believe
The principles we build everything on.
Connection before curriculum
The most transformative learning happens when students encounter real people, real places, and real perspectives — not textbook versions of them. We build programs around that belief.
Built for the classroom
Great programs don't just inspire students — they have to be realistic for the teacher running them. Everything we design starts with the question: will this actually work in a real classroom, on a real schedule?
Practical over theoretical
Elegant ideas mean nothing if they break down in third period. Everything we design — from virtual field trips to international cohort programs — has to work in actual classrooms, with real students.
Authentic over performative
We believe in real relationships with real partners. Our international connections are built on years of trust, not just vendor agreements.
Long-term over transactional
We don't disappear after the session. From multi-year program partnerships to ongoing support, our most important relationships are the ones we've maintained for a decade — districts, schools, and partners who've grown alongside us.
The team
Small team. Deep expertise.
Banyan is led by a core team of four — each close to the work, each genuinely invested in the schools and districts we serve.
Seth founded Banyan Global Learning 17 years ago with a vision for what global education could look like at its best: not a unit in a textbook, but a live encounter with the world. He has built Banyan from a single program into a multi-faceted learning organization connecting thousands of students to experts, educators, and classrooms across the globe.
Courtney oversees Banyan's international partnerships in China and Taiwan, managing the relationships that power Global Learning Live and the virtual exchange programs that connect American students to real classrooms across the Pacific.
Travis oversees the development of new programs and Banyan's marketing strategy. He brings both creative and strategic thinking to how Banyan communicates its work — and to what that work looks like next.
Katrina brings a distinctive combination of deep expertise in English language instruction and extensive HR experience to the operational core of Banyan. She ensures the programs, partnerships, and people that make Banyan run are supported with the same care we bring to every classroom experience.
Ready to bring the world to your students?
Whether you're looking for a single virtual field trip or a year-long partnership, we'd love to talk about what Banyan can build with your school or district.