FLAGSHIP Certificate PrograM
News:
Our Award-winning Flagship Program
is now fully asynchronous!
We’re excited to share that RISE Travel Institute’s award-winning Flagship Certificate Program in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel has transitioned from a cohort-based model to a fully asynchronous online program.This means you can now begin the program anytime and move through the material at a pace that works for your life, schedule, and learning needs.
What is RISE Travel Institute's Flagship Program?
RISE Travel Institute's Flagship Program is an online certificate program comprising 10 sessions over 10 weeks. The content explores different aspects of sustainable travel through structured, rigorous, research-based education. We are taking a systems-thinking approach to address the intersection of social justice, community development, animal protection, and environmental sustainability during travel. Students who complete the program and a capstone project will receive our Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel. Graduates can apply to join one of our domestic or international Experiential Journeys to put theory into practice.
What is the Flagship Program format?
The program no longer includes cohort-based peer discussions or live sessions. Instead, you can move through the course independently and complete it on your own schedule.
We encourage participants to complete the program within three months, ideally by engaging with one session per week to allow time for reflection and integration.
Participants have the option to submit a Capstone Project within 2 months of completing the program. A free 1:1 consultation is available to support you throughout the process. Please note that the completion of the Capstone Project is required to receive the Certificate in Sustainability and Anti-Oppression in Travel.
Participants are also invited to join our new Monthly Community Calls, a space where participants, alumni, and the broader RISE community come together to reflect on program themes, share experiences, and engage in ongoing conversations around sustainability and justice in travel and tourism.
What are the 10 sessions included in the Flagship Program?
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Session 2: Travel & Me: Locating Ourselves in the Spectrum of Power
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Session 3: Building Inclusivity: Rethinking Travel in an Unequal World
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Session 6: Conserving Biodiversity through Sustainable Travel
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Session 7: Global and Local Impacts of Climate Change from and on Tourism
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Session 8: Beyond Good Intentions: Challenging the Power Dynamics in Voluntourism
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Session 9: Photographing with Intention: A Travel Photography Primer
Who are the instructors?
The Flagship Program is designed and taught by the RISE Travel Institute team in collaboration with academics and professionals in tourism, social justice, animal protection, and environmental sustainability. Please click here to learn more about our instructors.
Who should take the Flagship Program?
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Our Flagship Program is open to all
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Highly recommended for tourism practitioners, tourism students, and international education professionals
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Anyone who is interested in understanding tourism and their role through a systems lens
How will the Flagship Program help you become a more
better tourism professional/traveler?
By the end of the program, participants will be able to:
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Understand diverse frameworks of sustainability and apply a holistic approach to travel
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Examine the historical and structural dimensions of travel, and locate their own position within systems of power
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Make more conscious and intentional decisions when planning or designing travel experiences
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Promote greater inclusion and accessibility across diverse identities and lived experiences
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Engage with Indigenous lands and communities in ways that challenge colonial dynamics and support self-determination
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Support ethical approaches to animal wellbeing and biodiversity conservation
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Critically examine conventional voluntourism models and explore more just and equitable forms of cross-cultural exchange
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Respond to the climate emergency through a climate justice lens
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Reflect critically on the ethics of documenting and sharing travel experiences
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Practice intentional and mindful travel in ways that foster respect, reciprocity, and equity for host communities
How much is tuition?
RISE Flagship Program Tuition: USD499
Solidarity Rate: USD399; Expanded Solidarity Rate: USD399
Note: Our solidarity rates are offered on a trust basis as part of our commitment to equity and justice in education.
We recognize that people navigate very different financial realities shaped by income, currency exchange, employment status, or other structural factors. If the standard tuition is not accessible to you, we invite you to select a reduced rate—no explanation or documentation required. We trust participants to select the rate that best reflects their circumstances.
This approach is grounded in trust, collective responsibility, and a shared commitment to making justice-centered learning more accessible. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on those who are able to pay the full tuition to help sustain and expand this work. We are grateful for your support in making justice-centered education more accessible to a wider community.
Universities interested in integrating this program into a sustainable tourism course are invited to contact us at students@risetravelinstitute.org to explore private cohort options.
Why should you take the Flagship Program?
Educational Experience
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Join a one-of-a-kind program in the sustainable tourism field with a distinctive anti-oppression lens
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Learn from an international faculty of practitioners and experts
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Build the knowledge and tools to become a more thoughtful traveler and tourism professional
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Receive an alumni discount on future RISE programs
Community and Connection
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Engage with a global network of participants, alumni, and RISE staff
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Connect with sustainability leaders and professionals across the tourism and international education sectors
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Be part of a growing community committed to more responsible and justice-centered travel
Professional Development
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Earn a recognized credential to support your professional growth
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Have the opportunity to present your Capstone Project to RISE partners and supporters at our Annual Conference