CEA CAPA Education Abroad is a leading provider of high-quality study abroad programs and international internship opportunities, serving students in over 27 locations across Europe, Asia, and Latin/South America. Guided by a mission to empower students to become thoughtful and thriving leaders through immersive global experiences, CEA CAPA focuses on enriching both academic and personal growth. Formed from the merger of two well-established organizations in the field, CEA and CAPA, the unified entity inherited a complex challenge: integrating two distinct learning management systems (LMS) used by each organization.
The Challenge
After the merger of two organizations, CEA CAPA needed a unified LMS to support its diverse academic programs and global operations. Previously, each organization used different platforms, leading to frustration among faculty who had to manage multiple logins and navigate disconnected systems. The organization needed a flexible, scalable platform capable of providing consistent, high-quality educational experiences across multiple international locations. With a growing focus on career development and experiential learning, CEA CAPA required a solution that could adapt to the unique demands of its global study programs. After evaluating options, they chose Canvas for its scalability, flexibility, and global reach, ensuring seamless connections between faculty, students, and programs.
Key Insights
CEA CAPA’s strategic LMS selection focused on pricing, integrations, design, and flexibility, ultimately choosing Canvas for its comprehensive capabilities.
Canvas creates a consistent student experience abroad, providing familiarity and continuity across different locations and cultures.
CEA CAPA is able to expand Canvas use beyond traditional academics to include training, internships, career development, and cross-cultural learning.
Canvas' SSO and robust API simplify faculty access and administrative processes, enabling seamless integration with Salesforce and creating a more efficient technological ecosystem.
The Solution
Canvas enables CEA CAPA to provide a consistent, university-like experience across its global programs. The single, branded LMS ensures seamless access to course materials, assignments, and peer engagement for students and instructors, no matter their location. CEA CAPA leverages Canvas to create cross-cultural learning experiences, allowing students in cities like Barcelona and Paris to collaborate and share perspectives. This fosters connections between students in similar yet culturally distinct environments, enriching their study abroad experience through peer learning and cultural exchange.
Having a continuity of experience through Canvas is really reassuring for our students. When a student is in a brand new country, tired and overwhelmed, knowing they can log into a familiar learning platform that feels just like home is incredibly comforting. It's a big selling point that goes beyond dollars and cents - it's about creating a consistent, supportive student experience that's hard to quantify but makes a massive difference.
Alex Henderson
Educational Technology Administrator, CEA CAPA
Tech-Driven Efficiency & Empowerment
The transition to Canvas streamlined operations, offering a more user-friendly experience for both faculty and students. Faculty members appreciated the system’s seamless integrations, which simplified workflows and eliminated redundant logins. "We're working on single sign-on right now, so faculty only need one login—for Canvas and their computer systems," said Henderson. This convenience extends beyond the classroom, allowing professors to access materials from any device.
The migration process was straightforward, with course imports requiring just a few clicks, minimizing disruption. Faculty champions—those familiar with the platform—have played a key role in onboarding colleagues and fostering a collaborative environment. Integrations with platforms like Salesforce have further enhanced efficiency, automating administrative tasks and ensuring data consistency.
"The API is great and well documented. It’s easy for our team to figure out when something goes wrong," Henderson notes.
CEA CAPA also leverages Blueprint courses for standardized pre-departure training to ensure consistency across their global programs and Canvas Commons, a digital library of educational content, for idea sharing and faculty collaboration.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Canvas helps CEA CAPA create diverse, impactful learning experiences that support both academic and professional growth. By using the platform for career development and internship courses, students can collaborate across cultures and connect with peers worldwide. Real-world experiences like business consulting projects give students practical skills while expanding their global perspective—key for their future careers.
Beyond student-facing initiatives, Canvas supports pre- departure courses that address policy compliance, set clear expectations, and prepare students for international programs. The platform also demonstrates its adaptability in internal training, providing consistent and accessible solutions for staff training and development. These varied applications highlight Canvas’s versatility in meeting the evolving needs of both learners and organizations.
The Results
The successful LMS transition has been a game-changer for CEA CAPA, enabling the organization to provide a more cohesive, tech-driven learning experience for students while improving operational efficiency and supporting its growth plans. Canvas’ flexibility in supporting both student-facing and internal training programs highlights its ability to meet CEA CAPA’s evolving needs.
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