The Million Stories campaign is driven by four objectives:
- to collect one million stories of international education and exchange through the World Storytellers Project
- to support the movement’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize
- to build an Opportunity Bank of scholarships; and to help unify a sector that has long been fragmented
The team from Made Impact formally launched the Million Stories campaign at The PIE Live Europe 2026, to promote the value of international education and exchange to the world.
The global movement is calling on the entire ecosystem involved in international student mobility to come together to evidence the critical role of intercultural education as a fundamental driver of global peace and prosperity, with the aim of collecting one million stories of impact from students, alumni, and educators worldwide.
As part of the initiative, the World Storytellers Project will train and equip young content creators, and aspiring journalists to identify, interview, and document the experiences of alumni from international education and exchange programmes worldwide.
Founding partners in the initiative include Alliance Abroad, AIFS, Alliance for International Exchange, InterExchange, GoAbroad.com, International TEFL Academy, Transforma Group, IENA, Greenheart Exchange and The PIE who will be amplifying the ambitious mission and recording the positive stories of transformation and impact.
By documenting just a fraction of the 6.9 million students who study abroad each year, the aim is to demonstrate the value of internationalisation beyond politics and societal divisions. The campaign will also leverage essential industry and political connections, data and awards to create an “opportunity bank” with the aim of having all industry scholarships matched by global philanthropy.
The soft power influence of the thousands of world leaders, scientists, healthcare workers, artists, engineers, CEOs, refugees, activists and entrepreneurs who are international alumni, can influence cultural change and protect future opportunities for students across the world.
We can change the way that everyone, but specifically parents, policymakers, and politicians, view the value of international education
Chris Arnold, Made Impact
Chris Arnold, founder of Made Impact, commented, saying “in a sector that relies so heavily on trust and authentic connection, there is no partner more credible than The PIE for this mission. They have spent over a decade building a global community and a reputation for excellence. We believe that by telling these stories, we can change the way that everyone, but specifically parents, policymakers, and politicians, view the value of international education.”
Following the launch of the campaign at The PIE Live Europe 2026, the first 250 organisations involved in the project will attend an International Education & Exchange Summit at the United Nations in New York in September. Emerging storytellers from the World Storyteller Project will join leaders from across the field at the summit, where they will capture the stories of delegates and continue their professional development through an intensive training programme in New York City in the days that follow.
Jane Gilham, co-founder and director of The PIE explained her excitement, saying “we are thrilled to support Made Impact as a founding partner. At The PIE, our mission has always been to connect and inform the professionals who make international education possible, so supporting an initiative that celebrates the human impact of that work feels like a natural extension of what we do.
“Chris’s vision for a ‘One Million Stories’ movement is exactly the kind of bold, purpose-driven project the world needs right now, and we are excited to help bring those stories to a global stage.”
The hope is to build on successful national campaigns such as the UK’s #WeAreInternational and Study UK to a global scale, with no limit to the institutions, organisations and students who can be collating the target million stories over the next decade.
For more information on how to get involved or to contribute an impact story complete the form here or visit madeimpact.org.
