Join us on November 6th as we celebrate 40 years of the Institute for Training and Development (ITD)! Event will take place at the Amherst Woman’s Club in Amherst, Massachusetts from 5:30pm-8:30pm. RSVPs are requested.
We are excited to share reflections from international alumni who have participated in our programs over the decades. Their stories powerfully illustrate the lasting impact of ITD programs on careers, communities, worldviews, and individual lives.
Anang is a language teacher at SMA Negeri 3 Sukabumi in West Java, Indonesia, known for his dedication to classroom learning and to strengthening the wider teaching community. He earned his bachelor’s from the Indonesia University of Education (UPI) in Bandung and a master’s in Population and Environmental Education from Pakuan University, grounding his pedagogy in social and environmental contexts. Active in professional forums, he writes on education, develops teacher trainings, and is a frequent seminar speaker—yet consistently prioritizes his students. A 2022 SUSI participant at ITD, he later received a Mini Grant to host an education seminar in Indonesia and was invited to the 2025 SUSI Alumni Conference in San José, Costa Rica, reflecting his growing impact in global education networks.
Bjorn Hillebrandt is an educational innovator and teacher at Yuverta, a Dutch school for vocational and secondary education. With a background in social work, pedagogy, educational science, and corporate anthropology, he brings a holistic and human-centered approach to learning. He has led major initiatives including the Yuverta Digital Nomads program and a new citizenship-based curriculum launching in 2026. Passionate about making education a space for curiosity and growth, Bjorn traces much of his vision back to his experience in the 2017 Dutch Teachers Program at ITD, where visits to UMASS, a Holyoke charter school, and local community partners deepened his commitment to equity, creativity, and social justice in education.
Didn’t fill out the 40th Anniversary Survey? Your country not represented here? Contact us!
