Through its advocacy efforts in 2017 to establish a Global Education Taskforce, PACIE established connections with Secretary Carolyn Dumaresq as well as an education consultant who assisted PACIE in networking in Harrisburg with a wide variety of officials from the Department of Education as well as Capitol Hill. PACIE members met with more than thirty State Senators and House of Representatives, worked to regain the naming of the Governor School for Global and International Education, and preserved an excellent relationship with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Education. Through these relationships, new legislation was proposed to re-engage the state in a conversation on what global learning can and should look like in the contemporary classroom. While PACIE advocated for the completion and implementation of this legislation, the legislation ultimately did not pass. However, PACIE made significant strides during this process and continues to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, in order to be a guiding force in conversations in and beyond Pennsylvania that inform the continuously evolving field of international education.

Recognizing an increasing need to coordinate messaging as we advocate for global education, in 2023 PACIE introduced Vice President for Higher Education and Vice President for K-12 roles on its Board of Directors. This enabled PACIE to dedicate advocacy efforts to renewed relationship building in and beyond Harrisburg. Meanwhile, PACIE paid close attention to the Shapiro administration’s blueprint for higher education, historic investment in primary and secondary education in Pennsylvania, and 10-year Economic Development Strategy. In April 2024, the PACIE Board of Directors met for its Spring Board Retreat at Dickinson College, followed by meetings with the PA Department of Education, the PA Department of and Community and Economic Development, and the U.S. Commercial Service Harrisburg, which were joined by StudyPA friends. Goals of these meetings were to develop and strengthen relationships linking PACIE, global education across higher education and K-12, the PA Department of Education, and Governor Shapiro’s proposed economic strategy.

The PACIE Board continued to engage key stakeholders across the Commonwealth, such as StudyPA, the Pennsylvania International Education Stakeholders Roundtable convened by the U.S. Commercial Service, Senior International Officers, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and the Global Education Hub in Philadelphia.

In 2025, PACIE has continued to connect with stakeholders, in order to build a shared message among Pennsylvania global educators and remain a guiding force for preparing global ready graduates. In May 2025, the PACIE Board of Directors met for its Spring Board Retreat at Dickinson College, followed by meetings with the PA SIO Network, representatives from StudyPA, the PA Department of Education, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, Legislative Director Ben Slate from Senator Greg Rothman’s Office, Executive Deputy Stephen D’Ettore and Deputy Chief of Staff Tori Shriver from the Office of Governor Josh Shapiro, the U.S. Commercial Service Harrisburg office’s Director Nic Cervantes, and Team Pennsylvania’s President and CEO Abby Smith. Goals of these meetings were to advocate for international students and scholars, identify opportunities to leverage resources and networks, and better understand PACIE’s current role in contributing to the economic development of PA.