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Two regional universities have completed the first round of a three-year collaborative NSF Research Experience for Teachers grant focused on human-centered design and appropriate technology for developing countries. In this transformative research experience, teachers travel to global community partner sites to engage in learning projects aimed to enhance their understanding of engineering and intercultural awareness. Upon return from their immersion experience, the teachers complete an intensive, two-week curriculum development workshop. The teachers then pilot the resulting lesson(s) in their classroom, make revisions as necessary, and share their finalized curriculum with other STEM educators via the TeachingEngineering website. Throughout the experience, teachers benefit professionally through integrated development activities and cultivate greater self-awareness and understanding of culture. First, this paper will summarize the project to date. Then, we present observations from participants’ reflections, semi-structured interviews, and pre/post intercultural assessments. Next, we highlight the collaborative outreach and capacity-building efforts which resulted in a new community partner and immersion site. Finally, we discuss the unique opportunities and challenges associated with navigating international travel and immersion experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.