Randy LeGrant

Executive Director, The Cultural Exchange Project

Randy LeGrant has spent more than 50 years in international education and cultural exchange — a career that began before "study abroad" and "gap year" were household phrases, and that has spanned nearly every form the field has taken since.

He is the Executive Director of The Cultural Exchange Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that places native English speakers in guaranteed paid teaching positions abroad, with full visa, orientation, and in-country support. Under his direction, the organization runs teaching programs in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Spain, and Vietnam, alongside its accredited TEFL Plus certification course.

Over the decades, Randy has held leadership roles at some of the most established names in the field, including the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), AFS-USA, The Experiment in International Living, and the GeoVisions Foundation. That history matters for a simple reason: the people he places abroad today are protected by lessons learned across half a century of sending participants into classrooms and communities around the world. He has seen what makes a placement succeed, what makes one fail, and why the difference so often comes down to preparation, honest expectations, and real support on the ground.

His writing on this site reflects that experience. When an article here states what an English teacher in Thailand actually earns, what a year abroad really costs, or how to choose between a summer placement and a full-year contract, those answers come from someone who has spent a career watching real participants live those decisions — not from a content desk assembling figures from elsewhere.

Randy is also a published children's author. His chapter-book series, The Misadventures of Grandpa & Leo, reflects a lifelong belief that the most important learning happens through story, curiosity, and crossing the distance between one person's world and another's — the same conviction that has driven his work in cultural exchange.

Areas of expertise

  • Paid teach-abroad program design and placement
  • TEFL/TESOL certification and English-language instruction abroad
  • Cultural exchange program administration and participant support
  • International education across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe
  • Nonprofit program leadership

Connect

The Cultural Exchange Project is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Independent reviews of all CEP programs are published on GoAbroad, where the organization holds a 9.4 out of 10 rating.

To speak with Randy or the CEP team, call +1 (203) 453-5838 or visit the contact page.