State: Tacoma, WA
Program Title: Exploring Tribal Sovereignty and the Environment through an Indigenous Lens
Destination(s): Canada
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Through the IDEAS Program’s inaugural consortium grant, the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) will collaborate with institutional and community partners to develop a program and resources to support Indigenous students (students who identify as Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, First Nation and other self-identifying Indigenous peoples in the United States). In partnership with Green River College, Tacoma Community College, and local tribal communities and organizations, UWT will develop a faculty-led study abroad program for Indigenous students and students interested in working with Indigenous communities. IDEAS grant funding will support administrative costs, consultant costs for program contributors from Tribal organizations, and faculty and staff travel costs for program site visits and student programs. The study abroad course will focus on tribal sovereignty and climate issues in the United States and Canada. The materials generated through this project—including funding and peer mentorship resources—will respond to the interests and needs of Indigenous-identifying students. UWT will share these resources with the broader U.S. higher education community to encourage increased engagement with Indigenous students in study abroad. 

State: Huntsville, AL
Program Title: Let Us Build Bridges Study Abroad Project
Destination(s): Zambia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Alabama A&M University, a historically Black university, will create an interdisciplinary elective study abroad course focused on democracy and human rights, economic development and entrepreneurship, and global health in Zambia, a less-common study abroad destination. Through the IDEAS grant, faculty will visit Zambia to meet with key program stakeholders at relevant Zambian governmental institutions, develop strategic partnerships with local and international non-profits, and lay the groundwork for student travel to this location. The university will also increase awareness of study abroad opportunities among faculty and students through tailored panel discussions, targeted guest speaker presentations, and open house sessions on campus.  

State: Bellevue, WA
Program Title: From Virtual to Reality in Humanities: Understanding the Story of War in Normandy
Destination(s): France
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Technology and Innovation

Bellevue College, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving two-year institution, will expand access and inclusion in study abroad by creating a low-cost, faculty-led hybrid study abroad program in France. Expanding on an existing partnership with the University of Caen in Normandy, France, and in partnership with the institution’s Extended Reality (XR) Laboratory, Bellevue College will create a two-credit course focused on understanding war from an interdisciplinary humanities perspective. The course will provide a framework for understanding how XR technologies can be a vehicle for storytelling and how digital media shapes narratives and the public’s understanding of war. The university will utilize its IDEAS grant to fund faculty travel to Normandy for a site visit and to create digital artifacts for use in the course. Bellevue College aims to increase the number and diversity of its students studying abroad and provide the framework for a hybrid study abroad model for its faculty in other subjects and destinations. 

State: Warner Robins, GA
Program Title: Getting Technical: Increasing Diversity in Study Abroad through Technical Education
Destination(s): Brazil, Nigeria, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Through its IDEAS grant, Central Georgia Technical College, a predominantly Black two-year institution, aims to increase study abroad participation among rural, first-generation, and low-income students, which are traditionally underrepresented populations in study abroad. Specifically, the college will expand its current health science study abroad programming in Nigeria and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and expand an existing partnership with FAE Business School to provide new study abroad offerings for business management students in Brazil. The college will utilize its IDEAS funding to support faculty site visits and partnership and curricula development in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Brazil, and Nigeria. These short-term study abroad programs will allow undergraduates to fulfill curriculum requirements through practice and service learning.  

State: Clemson, SC
Program Title: Diversity and Inclusion via Signed Language
Destination(s): Australia, New Zealand
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Clemson University will establish a new, two-week credit-bearing study abroad program in American Sign Language (ASL). The program will investigate the governance of signed language policies in New Zealand and Australia as they relate to human rights and democracy. The IDEAS grant will support ASL faculty site visits to both locations to develop curricula and itineraries. The program provides full accessibility to Deaf students, who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad, and complete language immersion for students learning ASL, as well as establishes a potential national model for ASL study abroad programs.  

State: Fayetteville, NC
Program Title: FTCC STEM Abroad
Destination(s): Belize, Bermuda
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Fayetteville Technical Community College will create its first faculty-led STEM study abroad program through its IDEAS grant. Math and Science Division faculty will foster partnerships and explore program and research opportunities on climate, energy, and environmental topics for students at scientific, educational field stations in Belize and Bermuda. The goal of the project is to increase the number of students engaged in STEM activities, both abroad and on campus, and the number and diversity of students participating in study abroad overall. The college will utilize its IDEAS funding to support faculty site visits to Bermuda and Belize where Math and Science Division faculty will foster partnerships and explore program and research opportunities on climate, energy, and environmental topics for students at scientific, educational field stations. Funding will also be used to create digital marketing materials and purchase field equipment to be used during the program.  

State: Miami Gardens, FL
Program Title: FMU Global: The Africa and African Diaspora Project
Destination(s): Brazil, Colombia, South Africa
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Technology and Innovation

Florida Memorial University (FMU), a historically Black university, will establish approximately 15 heritage-related (opportunities that connect students to their ancestral history) virtual exchange programs within the School of Business, School of Education, and Healthcare Program. Specifically, the IDEAS grant will support site visits by FMU faculty to develop partnerships with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and the Universidad del Valle in Colombia. The grant will also support faculty development workshops and trainings to create education abroad faculty champions who will increase awareness of study abroad on campus. 

State: Lawrenceville, GA
Program Title: The Impact of Water Pollutants on Health and Biodiversity in Cameroon
Destination(s): Cameroon
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Georgia Gwinnett College, a Hispanic-serving institution, will develop its first study abroad program on the African continent through its IDEAS grant. Expanding on a partnership with the University of Bamenda in Cameroon, the School of Science and Technology will develop a month-long, credit-bearing faculty-led study abroad program. In this program, students will apply biology, statistics, and chemistry to address problems in biodiversity, the environment, and public health. The college will utilize part of its IDEAS grant to fund student study abroad ambassadors on campus to market the program to the student body and develop resources to be distributed to students and their families. Funding will also be allocated to defray the cost of faculty travel to Cameroon. The IDEAS grant will also support a supplemental virtual exchange component for collaborative science projects with students in Cameroon to build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics competencies among all attendees. Through new targeted recruitment materials, the program also aims to increase male participation in study abroad as men, particularly male students of color, are underrepresented in study abroad. 

State: Grinnell, IA
Program Title: Diversifying Faculty-led Global Programs at Grinnell College
Destination(s): Colombia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

Using IDEAS grant funding, Grinnell College will organize a five-day faculty development workshop in Colombia on course development for short-term, course-embedded faculty-led travel. The training will concentrate on equity and inclusion, focusing on Colombia’s Afro-Caribbean communities. The workshop’s location in Colombia was strategically selected to encourage the creation of new, site-based study abroad modules in Latin America. By developing faculty capacity to lead short-term course travel, Grinnell College will increase the number of courses with faculty-led travel components, thereby increasing the number of students studying abroad and enabling the institution to better meet student demand for education abroad. The IDEAS grant will allow Grinnell to contract with a study abroad provider to host the workshop and fund faculty travel to the workshop site.  

State: Flint, MI
Program Title: Developing a COIL/Hybrid Study Abroad in Central Asia
Destination(s): Kyrgyzstan
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

With its IDEAS grant, Kettering University’s School of Management aims to increase the number of students engaged in international learning and decrease cost barriers associated with study abroad by developing a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) entrepreneurship course. Through this course, students will develop plans to sell products or services across national boundaries with an option to travel for ten days to Kyrgyz State Technical University (KSTU) in Kyrgyzstan. The IDEAS grant will fund a faculty visit to KSTU to solidify the partnership and commence COIL course development. This short-term program will provide students with a cost-effective option for participating in study abroad and expand the institution’s offerings to a less-common study abroad destination.   

State: Madison, WI
Program Title: Expanding Community College Underrepresented Student Access to Africa: Study Abroad and High Impact Engagement in Kenya and Rwanda
Destination(s): Kenya, Rwanda
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Through its IDEAS grant, Madison Area Technical College aims to strengthen its education abroad programming in Africa, both in-person and virtually, and increase overall study abroad participation with a focus on African American students, who are underrepresented in study abroad. To that end, the institution will develop a two-week, interdisciplinary faculty-led field study program in Kenya and Rwanda. This will be the first study abroad offering for the institution in Africa and will focus on the environment and ecotourism in East Africa. In addition, Madison Area Technical College will adapt its curriculum in journalism and African history to include virtual exchange components. The institution will also collaborate with its Retention Initiatives and Student Engagement unit to develop culturally relevant and responsive programming to increase study abroad participation among African American students. To support these activities, the college will utilize its IDEAS grant to fund faculty and staff travel to Kenya and Rwanda, contract with a virtual exchange provider and onsite program providers, create recruitment materials, and hire student workers as peer coaches. 

State: Los Angeles, CA
Program Title: Women Crossing Boundaries and Borders: Women’s Empowerment and Global Experiential Learning from Los Angeles to Nairobi and Valparaíso
Destination(s): Chile, Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

Mount Saint Mary’s University, a Hispanic-serving and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving women’s university, aims to enhance its education abroad offerings and increase study abroad participation among first-generation students of color through its IDEAS grant. The grant will support faculty travel to Chile and Kenya to establish new university partnerships and develop two new faculty-led study abroad programs. The interdisciplinary courses will focus on female empowerment, providing students with a cross-cultural and intersectional understanding of the topic. To encourage participation in the programs, Mount Saint Mary’s University will also develop inclusive recruitment materials focused on first-generation students of color, who are underrepresented in study abroad, and their families. 

State: Corvallis, OR
Program Title: OSU Forestry Study Abroad in Chile – Development Workshop
Destination(s): Chile
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Oregon State University’s College of Forestry will develop a faculty-led study abroad program titled the Patagonia Student Experience focused on forestry and natural resources with partner institutions in Chile. This program will build off the institution’s previous initiatives in the country and further solidify the institution’s partnerships with the Universidad de Chile and Universidad de Aysén. As the first study abroad program within the college that will take place for a full academic term, students will participate in an immersive experience focused on the similar ecosystems of Patagonia and Oregon, climate change, natural resource management, and Indigenous and colonial history, all while meeting their degree requirements. IDEAS grant funding will support a site visit for Oregon State University faculty to collaborate with their Chilean partners to develop the experiential program curriculum. 

State: Champaign, IL
Program Title: Parkland Study Abroad in Taiwan
Destination(s): Taiwan
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education

Through its IDEAS grant, Parkland College, a community college, will develop the Parkland Study Abroad in Taiwan (PSAT) program to increase and diversify study abroad participants and opportunities at Parkland College and other colleges in the Midwest. Specifically, the grant will support the development of an enhanced curriculum for two humanities study abroad courses to Taiwan, the creation of study abroad marketing materials to reach underrepresented study abroad populations, and a faculty site visit to Taiwan to plan for a study abroad program in 2025. Parkland College will collaborate with the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs to expand the reach of this program, allowing students from up to 30 other institutions in Illinois and Wisconsin to participate in this new opportunity in Asia.  

State: Knoxville, TN
Program Title: Building a Peer Learning Community to Grow Education Abroad at Community Colleges
Destination(s): United States 
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Pellissippi State Community College will lead a partnership between the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies (TnCIS) and the Forum on Education Abroad to create a peer learning community among a cohort of community college systems across the United States based on the TnCIS consortium model. International educators from community colleges will first apply to participate in a professional development and learning opportunity. Three individuals will then be selected to partner with a mentor and gain access to networking and shadowing opportunities within education abroad offices and at international education conferences. Following the year-long program and an IDEAS grant-funded site visit to observe an active TnCIS program in Europe, participants will create resources on developing study abroad programs at community colleges to share publicly. IDEAS grant funding will support the costs of attendance and travel for the Forum on Education Abroad and TnCIS conferences, as well as an international site visit for the selected program participants. 

State: Weston, MA
Program Title: Operación Acceso: Healthcare Professionals at Home and Abroad
Destination(s): Bolivia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Through its IDEAS grant, the Regis College’s School of Health Sciences will create a faculty-led study abroad course to Bolivia and develop campus-wide education abroad marketing campaigns targeting underrepresented students in study abroad. The course will count as a prerequisite for several health science disciplines and focus on the interdependence of healthcare professions. The program and marketing campaign will support an overall increase in study abroad participation with a targeted focus on first-generation, Black, and Latinx students, who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. IDEAS grant funding will support the administrative costs of developing the program and a site visit to Bolivia for Regis College faculty. 

State: Petersburg, VA
Program Title: International Richard Bland College “I-RBC”
Destination(s): Madagascar
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Through its IDEAS grant, Richard Bland College will develop its first study abroad program, the I-RBC, in Madagascar. This program will target female students of color studying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, traditionally underrepresented fields in study abroad. Grant funding will support a site visit to Madagascar to develop the program in collaboration with Sadabe, Richard Bland College’s in-country partner. The program will be comprised of in-person and virtual engagement opportunities. It will connect students to humanitarian efforts, biodiversity research, and public health components through virtual reality modules to precede and enhance the study abroad experience. Students can then elect to participate in the 10-day, in-person program to continue studying these topics on the ground, gaining a fresh perspective on fundamental concepts related to international exchange, global health, and globalization.  

State: Rochester, NY
Program Title: European Deaf Culture: A Pilot Program in Community Engaged Learning
Destination(s): Croatia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will use its IDEAS grant to develop a pilot project in European Deaf Culture based in Zagreb, Croatia, to expand accessible study abroad offerings for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. Specifically, RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the world’s first and largest technical college for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, will create a four-week summer study abroad program for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students to learn about Deaf culture, sign language, and human rights in the region. IDEAS grant funding will support a faculty site visit to Croatia to develop the study abroad program. 

State: Camden, NJ
Program Title: Abroad Certificate Qualifying for Internationally Relevant Education (ACQUIRE)
Destination(s): Hungary, United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Through its IDEAS grant, the Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing will increase and diversify the number of nursing students, an underrepresented discipline in education abroad, participating in study abroad programs by developing short-term programs at Semmelweis University in Hungary. Grant funding will be used to develop a course tentatively titled Health and Healing in Hungary, and to establish a global health micro-credential program to certify student competencies on the subject through a faculty site visit. The developed course will feature programming focused on infectious diseases in Hungary coupled with a study of Florence Nightingale’s influential healthcare work in London, UK.   

State: Shoreline, WA
Program Title: Service-Learning for Nursing Students – Bolivia
Destination(s): Bolivia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Shoreline Community College, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, aims to make study abroad more accessible to students studying nursing, who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. Through its IDEAS grant, the institution will build upon a study and service-learning abroad program model in Bolivia, partnering with the University of Upal Nursing and the non-profit Smiles Forever. It will create and deliver a two-week, faculty-led study abroad program that develops students’ global competencies and increases study abroad participation among students in the nursing discipline. The IDEAS grant will fund administrative costs related to program development and implementation, as well as a faculty site visit to Bolivia to meet with in-country partners and finalize the service-learning component of the study abroad program.  

State: St. Cloud, MN
Program Title: Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Exchange
Destination(s): Australia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

St. Cloud State University will leverage its institutional partnerships and heritage-based study abroad programs (opportunities that connect students to their ancestral history) to create an education abroad opportunity for Native American students. This program will facilitate a short-term exchange between U.S. Native American students and non-American Indigenous students in Australia. Students will analyze the relationship between people, land, and the environment; compare Indigenous knowledge systems and sustainability projects; and examine relationships between sovereignty, land, and governance through an Indigenous lens. The IDEAS grant funds will also support the development of an online co-teaching model and related curricula with Southern Cross University in Australia, a site visit to Australia, and marketing materials.  

State: Lexington, KY
Program Title: Global Health and Development in Ecuador: Expanding International Opportunities for Pre-Health Students
Destination(s): Ecuador
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Transylvania University, a small liberal arts university, will increase pre-health students’ participation in study abroad by designing and implementing a faculty-led global health course to Ecuador. Pre-health students represent 25% of Transylvania University’s student body but only 18% are study abroad participants due to the restrictions of the major. IDEAS grant funding will be utilized to support course design, as well as development of a student peer mentoring program, targeted marketing materials, and on-campus recruitment events to effectively recruit students from underrepresented populations. 

State: Huntsville, AL
Program Title: Diverse and Inclusive Study Abroad Programs for Engineering Students
Destination(s): Colombia, Peru
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Technology and Innovation

Through its IDEAS grant, the University of Alabama in Huntsville aims to increase study abroad participation among engineering students, particularly those from low-income, first-generation, or other historically underrepresented backgrounds. The institution will create a faculty-led, short-term study abroad program model that condenses full-credit engineering courses and combines them with international programming in Colombia and Peru. The IDEAS grant will support various activities including targeted trainings for faculty and staff, development of foreign partnerships, implementation of pilot study abroad programs in Colombia and Peru, and creation of a student ambassador program to promote study abroad on-campus.   

State: Storrs, CT
Program Title: Developing Navy STEM Partnerships and Programming in Experiential Learning in Australia to Support the Australia – United Kingdom – United States Partnership
Destination(s): Australia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Technology and Innovation

The University of Connecticut National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology will utilize its IDEAS grant to strengthen critical partnerships and build a faculty-led study abroad program in Australia, supporting the trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Through the study abroad program, students will learn about Australia’s military, its role in enhancing the stability of the Indo-Pacific region, technology innovation, and the sharing of undersea capabilities. The program will increase the participation of STEM and engineering students, two groups traditionally underrepresented in study abroad, in global training and research collaboration. IDEAS funding will be used to support faculty administrative and travel costs associated with a site visit to Australia to identify program partnerships and experiential student opportunities.  

State: Lawrence, KS
Program Title: Race, History, & Health in African and African Diasporic Communities
Destination(s): Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

The University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. will develop its first hybrid study abroad program on the interconnections between race, history, and health in Africa and the African diaspora. The university will utilize its IDEAS grant to support site visits to Brazil, Cuba, and Nigeria to collect pedagogical materials for the virtual modules. Following program completion, staff will use evaluation data to develop effective student recruitment and communication strategies to increase participation among underrepresented student populations, including African American, Latinx, and first-generation students, in future programs.   

State: Baltimore, MD
Program Title: STEM Abroad: Facilitating Study Abroad Access to Minoritized STEM Students through a Short-Term, Research-Oriented Program
Destination(s): Spain
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

The University of Maryland Baltimore County, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, will launch a three-week, faculty-led STEM research-oriented study abroad program. IDEAS grant funding will support faculty salary and site visit travel costs to develop an affordable and academically inclusive study abroad experience, allowing more students to enroll across STEM disciplines, which are underrepresented in study abroad. This program will combine asynchronous online learning prior to departure followed by hands-on training and internships at research institutes in Spain. Students will gain first-hand experience in biomedical research, develop their intercultural competencies, and expand their understanding of global scientific networks.  

State: Chapel Hill, NC
Program Title: Let’s Explore: The Impact of Education Systems on Student Future Identity
Destination(s): Morocco
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has partnered with Durham Technical Community College to develop a three-way Collaborative Online International Learning Plus (COIL+) program with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco for its IDEAS project. The IDEAS grant will support an intercultural competence expert to aid in developing the new COIL+ course, a site visit to Morocco for faculty to explore potential language learning collaborations, and travel to Morocco for two faculty with students at the end of the semester. The course, which explores U.S. and Moroccan education systems and how they shape identity, will culminate in a one-week, faculty-led study abroad experience that decreases financial barriers for students by offering a cost-effective, short-term option for study abroad. It will be the first program in the Middle East and North Africa region for Durham Technical Community College. The University of North Carolina will also support broader capacity building for community colleges in the region by offering COIL+ trainings for community college faculty in the local Durham area. 

State: Providence, RI
Program Title: Globalizing and Diversifying Teacher Education Curriculum in Rhode Island
Destination(s): Colombia, Sierra Leone
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education, Democracy and Human Rights

With its IDEAS grant, the University of Rhode Island School of Education will establish two study abroad programs in Colombia and Sierra Leone as mandatory components of its newly developed Global Education minor. Providing students with global teaching competencies and international experiential opportunities is critical in cultivating a culturally responsive teaching practice for future educators. More broadly, this project will increase the university’s capacity to administer study abroad programs for traditionally underrepresented disciplines, such as education students, and students from historically underrepresented populations, such as students of color and low-income students, by creating cross-disciplinary, short-term programs. IDEAS grant funds will support faculty travel costs as they conduct site visits to the program countries to organize logistics, prepare student activities, and perform a thorough risk assessment. 

State: Vermillion, SD
Program Title: Fostering First-Year Resiliency in England
Destination(s): United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The Gallagher International Center at the University of South Dakota, in collaboration with TRIO Student Support Services and St. Cloud State University at Alnwick, England, will increase access to global programming for first-year students by developing a new, short-term faculty-led program. It will build on the university’s partnerships and networks to support historically underrepresented students such as Pell-eligible, first-generation, and racial and ethnic minority students, and enable first-year students to build resiliency skills that will help them succeed in their higher education journey. It will take place annually with the overall goal of assessing and studying the impact of study abroad experience for first-year students on retention rates and engagement. IDEAS grant funds will support faculty administrative and travel costs for the student program, consultant costs for St. Cloud State at Alnwick, England, and program marketing materials.  

State: San Antonio, TX
Program Title: Building Global Citizens by Studying Migration in Oaxaca, Mexico: Developing a Study Abroad Program with Experiential-Learning at a Hispanic Serving Institution
Destination(s): Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

Through its IDEAS grant, the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic-serving institution, aims to increase the number of first-generation and Latinx students, who are underrepresented in study abroad, participating in education abroad programming. Specifically, the institution will build students’ global competencies by developing a four-week, faculty-led summer program in Mexico focused on migration. IDEAS grant funding will support a faculty site visit to Oaxaca, Mexico to select an in-country partner organization; consultant costs for the partner organization’s assistance in curriculum development; and administrative costs for faculty to develop and lead implementation of the program. This program will combine level-appropriate, intensive Spanish language classes with homestays and experiential learning courses that study migration through interdisciplinary and culturally responsive approaches. Following the international experience, faculty will work with students to translate their new skills into a plan for their curricular and professional pathways. Merging classroom learning with real-world experience will provide students with a deeper understanding of the complex causes of migration.

State: River Falls, WI
Program Title: Renewable Energy Creating Opportunities for New Educational Collaboration and Travel Abroad (RECONECT Abroad)
Destination(s): Norway, Iceland
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment, Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation

With its IDEAS grant, the University of Wisconsin River Falls will develop new study abroad courses, research, and internship opportunities in Iceland and Norway focusing on environmental and economic issues surrounding renewable energy. The IDEAS grant will fund faculty site visits to Iceland and Norway in order to develop relationships with universities and other local partners and identify sites to support the new, interdisciplinary programs. These programs will specifically target first-generation students, as well as students studying conservation and environmental planning, geology, environmental science, and environmental engineering, all groups which are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad.

State: Collegeville, PA
Program Title: Expanding Short-Term Programs: Towards a Global Competencies Certificate
Destination(s): Mexico, South Korea
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights

Through its IDEAS grant, Ursinus College, a small liberal arts college, will create two faculty-led study abroad programs to South Korea and Mexico that will serve as the foundation of a Global Competencies Certificate to expand students’ capacities as global citizens and professionals. Ursinus College will recruit up to 20 students per program, focusing on historically underrepresented students in study abroad, including Pell-eligible and first-generation students. The three-week South Korea program will focus on human rights with activities such as observing trials and visiting South Korea-based human rights organizations. The Mexico program will examine the public and private healthcare systems of Mexico, as well as study local prevailing health issues and responses to manage and contain infectious diseases from a cross-cultural perspective. IDEAS grant funding will support faculty administrative costs as they lead the study abroad programs; student assistant administrative costs to develop program marketing materials; consultant costs for a guest lecturer to speak with faculty on curriculum integration models, and travel costs for faculty site visits to the program countries. 

State: Orem, UT
Program Title: Building Faculty Capacity to Provide First-Generation Students Access to Study Abroad
Destination(s): Estonia, Finland
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education

Utah Valley University’s (UVU) School of Education will enhance faculty expertise in leading study abroad programs through site visits to Estonia and Finland. This experience will initiate a faculty community of practice on UVU’s campus, whose members will use firsthand experience gained through the IDEAS grant-funded site visits to recruit and engage students with a focus on underrepresented groups, especially first-generation students, for future study abroad programs. Additionally, the faculty site visits to the two destinations will provide faculty with opportunities for professional learning and exchange based on both countries’ essential contributions to advancing contemporary K-12 education. 

State: Cincinnati, OH
Program Title: XU to Ireland: Developing Equitable Access for Students (IDEAS)
Destination(s): Ireland
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Xavier University is committed to increasing and diversifying study abroad opportunities for education majors and students with disabilities, particularly students on the autism spectrum or with related disorders. Through its IDEAS funding, Xavier faculty will conduct an exploratory trip to Ireland to determine study abroad accessibility for students with a wide variety of disabilities and complete syllabus development for a planned course in partnership with Mary Immaculate College in Ireland. The course will analyze educational policies of the United States and Ireland for students with disabilities. By providing inclusive study abroad opportunities, Xavier University will support students in gaining critical global competencies that will help advance the U.S. economy and expand professional opportunities for students in the U.S. workforce while meeting major and minor requirements for education majors.  

Location: Austin, TX
Program Title: Reaching Across Borders: Expanding Global Education through COIL
Destinations: Azerbaijan, El Salvador
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health, Democracy and Human Rights,

Project Summary: Austin Community College plans to use its IDEAS grant to launch Reaching Across Borders: Expanding Global Education through COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). Grant funding will support collaboration with partner institutions in El Salvador and Azerbaijan and the development of COIL course modules for nursing and psychology students. The nursing COIL course will take a comparative approach to examining access to and delivery of public health care to underserved communities in Texas and El Salvador. The psychology COIL course will introduce students to peace and conflict studies by exploring the cultural aspects of conflict transformation and peace building in Azerbaijan. As a Hispanic-serving institution, Austin Community College aims to introduce historically underrepresented student populations to the study abroad experience through an accessible and affordable virtual model.

Location: Greensboro, NC
Program Title: Empowering Global Climate Justice Warriors: Increasing HBCU Faculty and Black Women Studying Climate Change Abroad
Destinations: Costa Rica, South Africa, Tanzania
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: Bennett College, a Historically Black College for women, reaffirms its commitment to civic engagement and social justice by using its IDEAS grant to launch Empowering Global Climate Justice Warriors: Increasing HBCU Faculty and Black Women Studying Climate Change Abroad. Bennett faculty will develop study abroad programs rooted in environmental justice and climate change in one of three locations—Costa Rica, South Africa, or Tanzania. Faculty will engage with international partners to learn about the country’s approach to sustainability and social equity. Through collaboration and site visits, faculty will develop new courses centered on environmental justice, sustainability, climate change and/or policy development. Grant funding will also support faculty with training to guide underrepresented students in study abroad experiences focused on environmental justice, food security, and sustainable agriculture.

Location: Bakersfield, CA
Program Title: Faculty-led Study Abroad Nursing Program to Diverse Nations
Destinations: Guatemala, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Peru
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Project Summary: California State University, Bakersfield will develop a series of credit-bearing faculty-led courses to study nursing practices in Guatemala, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Peru. These 10-day programs will operate at an affordable cost and include academic study, medical facility visits, and service-learning projects in urban and rural settings. By lowering cost and credit barriers, the institution hopes to attract a more diverse study abroad cohort, incorporating students of all backgrounds. Once established, the programs will become a part of the nursing department’s regular offerings. Through these experiences, students will gain first-hand knowledge of health conditions and healthcare services in other countries, including the opportunity to apply their nursing skills to real-world situations. By the end of the experience, students will return to the United States with a deepened understanding of global health issues and a more empathetic view of patients from other cultures.

Location: Pella, IA
Program Title: Opening the World to Students: Interdisciplinary Short-term Faculty-led Study Abroad Development Project
Destinations: Greece, Iceland, Kuwait, Morocco
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education

Project Summary: Central College’s IDEAS grant project will create four new interdisciplinary short-term, faculty-led programs with anticipated enrollment in Spring 2024. The institution seeks to achieve study abroad representation proportional to the demographic makeup of its student body, with a particular focus on first-generation students. The institution will achieve these goals by identifying a cohort of eight faculty members from diverse disciplines to engage in workshops on developing study abroad programs and supporting historically underrepresented students. With this foundation, the faculty cohort will form four teams, each of which will design a new interdisciplinary short-term faculty-led study abroad program and conduct an on-site exploration trip. The program will incorporate Central College’s Engaged Citizen core curriculum and a new social justice minor, making the course accessible and easy to integrate into the general curriculum. Through the program, participants will gain an international perspective and develop critical cross-cultural competencies.

Location: Wilberforce, OH
Program Title: Engaging Students in a New Global Agriculture Environment
Destination: The Bahamas
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: Through the IDEAS grant, Central State University will establish the ENGAGE (Engaging Students in a New Global Agricultural Environment) Project in the School of Agricultural Education and Food Science. The project will implement the university’s first semester-long study abroad program, which will build on an existing partnership with the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute, and will be the first study abroad program at the institution to focus on climate, energy, and the environment. Additionally, this project will include professional development workshops for faculty, staff, and academic advisors on the process and procedures for engaging students in study abroad and developing new study abroad opportunities.

Location: Las Vegas, NV
Program Title: Global Pathways – Utilizing the Cohort Model to Empower Faculty-Led Internationalization of the Institution at Home and Abroad
Destinations: Global
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: The College of Southern Nevada, a Hispanic-serving institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, will launch a new Global Pathways program with its IDEAS grant. This two-pronged initiative utilizes a cohort model to empower community college faculty to develop in-person and virtual study abroad experiences. With the development of more faculty-led study abroad programming, the institution aims to increase the number of diverse students engaging in international and intercultural learning at two-year institutions. This initiative will also increase the college’s international institutional partnerships with other schools, organizations, and governments.

Location: Elizabeth City, NC
Program Title: International Studies for Disaster Workers
Destinations: Barbados, Iceland
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Global Health

Project Summary: Elizabeth City State University’s Department of Aviation and Emergency Management and Office of International Programs have partnered to create the International Studies for Disaster Workers program. The objective of this program is to provide students with opportunities to work and study abroad to learn best practices in disaster management, building real-world competencies and creating a generation of well-equipped global citizens. With the IDEAS grant, the institution will develop partnerships with international disaster relief organizations, pairing faculty with field professionals to create study abroad experiences for students to Barbados and Iceland. These programs will focus on students in the field of emergency services, a population historically underrepresented in study abroad. Through this program, students will gain greater insights into international emergency services and develop skills that will prepare them for the global workforce.

Location: Grand Chute, WI
Program Title: Program to Learn Agriculture and Natural Resources in The Bahamas
Destination: The Bahamas
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: Fox Valley Technical College will use its IDEAS grant to support a faculty-led, short-term study abroad program for nontraditional students in agriculture and natural resources fields titled Program to Learn Agriculture and Natural Resources in The Bahamas (PLANT). The aim of this project is to facilitate experiential learning opportunities for underrepresented students that will foster cultural awareness. Grant funds will be used to send a faculty member from each department to The Bahamas to develop — and later lead — a program focused on sustainability, resource management, and agricultural best practices. Learning exercises, cultural experiences, and personal growth will build professional success for participants and equip them for the modern globalized workforce. Upon the students’ return, the institution will facilitate peer-to-peer connections between participants and incoming Bahamian international students.

Location: Normal, IL
Program Title: Three New Countries and Beyond
Destinations: Finland, South Africa, Tanzania
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Global Health

Project Summary: Heartland Community College will use its IDEAS grant to create study abroad programs focused on agriculture, career, and technical education (CTE), and health sciences in Finland, South Africa, and Tanzania. With grant funding, the institution will form new ties with African study abroad organizations and expand upon its partnership with International Riveria College in Finland for a new CTE student exchange program in renewable energy and industrial technology.  Faculty teams will visit each host country to develop cost-effective study abroad programs designed to reach students from underrepresented majors and backgrounds. By expanding upon its study abroad opportunities, Heartland Community College will reach more students, increase study abroad visibility on campus, and enable students to gain a broader world view.

Location: Hollins, VA
Program Title: Building Capacity in Kenya and Expanding Student Access to Global Experience
Destinations: Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights; Global Health

Project Summary: Hollins University, a women’s college, will expand its study abroad offerings through the creation of programs in Kenya focused on women’s rights and public health. These programs will examine comparative health systems between the United States and Kenya and enhance students’ knowledge of women’s health advocacy in both countries. This initiative builds upon connections formed through a previous Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence hosted at Hollins from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. Grant-funded site visits will further enhance this partnership, resulting in the creation of both short-term and semester-long program options. Grant funding will also be used to develop and promote these programs, including the creation of a reusable, interdisciplinary study abroad model that incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusion learning outcomes and intercultural competencies. Promotional activities will include a targeted marketing plan for recruiting underrepresented students and, after the pilot program concludes, the sharing of program outcomes to academic venues at Hollins University and nationally.

Location: Bloomington, IN
Program Title: COOL Mentors
Destination: Ghana
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

Project Summary: Indiana University-Bloomington, School of Education, aims to develop and support a cohort of traditionally underrepresented faculty as study abroad mentors with the goal of better engaging and supporting underrepresented students in study abroad. The institution will bring together three collaborating units: the Global and International Engagement Initiative, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the Global Gateway for Teachers to expand study abroad options for students. Faculty mentors will participate in four stages of programming: Course Development, Overseas Travel, and Overseas Leadership (COOL) before becoming mentors for students of color participating in the Global Gateway for Teachers study abroad program.

Location: Harrisonburg, VA
Program Title: Beyond the Valley
Destination: Dominican Republic
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

Project Summary: With its IDEAS grant, James Madison University will launch a two-pronged initiative to increase low-income and first-generation student study abroad participation. The institution will first develop and implement a semester-long program in the Caribbean focused on environmental studies and geotourism, which will be tailored to the identified student groups. James Madison University will use this program to examine student perspectives and experiences. The findings will be used to create responsive marketing and recruitment materials for future programs.  Successful implementation of the program activities will lead to a research-based awareness of historically underrepresented student needs as they relate to international education.

Location: St. Charles, MO
Program Title: Expanding Access to Study Abroad in Iraq through Virtual Exchange
Destination: Iraq
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Global Health

Project Summary: Lindenwood University will use its IDEAS grant to engage students typically underrepresented in study abroad, including student athletes, freshmen, Pell-grant eligible students, and historically underrepresented students through a virtual exchange program. The virtual exchange program will be in collaboration with the University of Mosul in Iraq and will utilize an adapted framework of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) method in combination with virtual reality technologies. At least ten courses within the institution’s College of Arts and Humanities, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, and/or First Year Seminars will be selected to embed course-based virtual experiences into their curricula. Students studying human culture and society and marketing will experience a new and creative way of learning to enhance their world perspective and technological skill sets.

Location: Richmond, TX
Program Title: Business of Economics and Entrepreneurship
Destination: Morocco
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Lone Star College, a two-year college and Hispanic-serving institution, will use its IDEAS grant to expand access to study abroad within its diverse student population. The institution will partner with the University of Rabat to develop an interdisciplinary exchange program focusing on business and economics. The BEE Project (Business of Economics and Entrepreneurship) will create a hybrid faculty-led study abroad program through the development of a “learning communities course,” which will contain virtual co-curricular exchanges with an emphasis on business, economics, entrepreneurship, international commerce, and exchange. The virtual faculty collaboration will also serve as a continuous feedback loop from faculty to address challenges, produce a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual, and develop experiential learning opportunities/internship options for both Lone Star College and University of Rabat students who participate in the mobility course.

Location: Indianapolis, IN
Program Title: Diversifying Faculty-led Study Abroad Programming at Marian University
Destinations: Austria, Germany, Spain
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment, Democracy and Human Rights

Project Summary: Marian University’s IDEAS project will establish two faculty-led programs that will diversify the pool of students participating in study abroad. Marian plans to intentionally recruit students from three groups: Marian’s newly merged two-year college, Ancilla College, STEM students, and students from the growing Latinx/Hispanic student body. In the first program, STEM students will travel to Spain to increase their knowledge of successful models that protect biodiversity and environmental conservation. The second program will focus on a comparative collective memory course in Germany and/or Austria that will be designed to increase students’ understanding of the social impacts of historical reconciliation through just representations of the past and how this impacts a nation’s identity as well as its present and future.

Location: Flint, MI
Program Title: Mott Community College Serves the World
Destinations: Costa Rica, Peru
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism and Education; Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: Mott Community College’s IDEAS project will focus on building service abroad programs through the college’s Office of Experiential Learning. Through this project, selected faculty will participate in exploratory trips to Costa Rica and Peru to develop these programs. The project will also enhance institutional capacity by increasing faculty participation in a virtual exchange training program for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). In addition to these specific projects, Mott Community College aims to diversify the population of students studying abroad overall by collaborating with campus services and departments that support underrepresented students such as the TRIO office, Special Populations, Disability Services, Veteran Affairs, and Upward Bound.

Location: Lincoln, NE
Program Title: Path to 100%: Expanding Intercultural Competency in Helping Professions Curricula Using COIL
Destination: Global
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Nebraska Wesleyan University will enhance the capacity of faculty to create, manage, and sustain study abroad programs in less traditional study abroad destinations. Using grant funds, the institution will train faculty in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) methodologies to strengthen the institution’s capacity to develop more study abroad opportunities and establish new partnerships with institutions across the world. Having more offerings in less-traveled destinations will provide more opportunities for students in professional programs and majors to participate in and benefit from a global experience, which will lead to broader international awareness in future professions, such as teachers, counselors, policymakers, and care providers.

Location: Sarasota, FL
Program Title: New College, New World: Creating Our First Two Exchange Programs in Morocco and Taiwan
Destination: Morocco, Taiwan
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights, Climate Energy, and the Environment; Technology and Innovation

Project Summary: As a small, public, liberal arts honors college, the New College of Florida will establish its first bilateral exchange agreements with two institutions in Morocco and Taiwan. Two New College of Florida faculty and/or staff will travel to these locations, followed by a reciprocal visit from the partner institutions abroad to develop bilateral partnerships. These partnerships will increase access to global learning opportunities for students in traditionally underrepresented majors in study abroad and students with significant financial hardship. With courses offered in English at both respective institutions, students will have a diverse course selection that aligns with the institution’s current majors such as environmental studies, gender studies, critical language studies, and data analytics.

Location: Raleigh, NC
Program Title: Field Experiences in Engineering Education: Rwanda
Destination: Rwanda
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Democracy and Human Rights; Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: At North Carolina State University, the Women and Minority Engineering Program is working to integrate global thinking and experiences into the practice of students currently underrepresented in engineering, such as women, students of color, and first-generation students. Through its IDEAS grant, the College of Engineering seeks to support this goal by developing a four-week study abroad program in Rwanda where students will engage in service learning, co-teaching, cultural experiences, and comparative analyses of the United States’ and Rwanda’s engineering practices. Prior to program departure, students will participate in interdisciplinary workshops focused on engineering entrepreneurship, improving access to renewable energy resources, and reducing food insecurity which will help them be more culturally and contextually prepared to engage with the local Rwandan community.

Location: Fargo, ND
Program Title: Getting the Ball Rolling: Development of Study Abroad with Internship Program Focused on Sport for Social Change
Destinations: South Africa, Tanzania
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; and Global Health.

Project Summary: North Dakota State University aims to expand study abroad and internship opportunities within the sport management unit of the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science. The goal of the program is to establish a partnership network of sport-for-development organizations in South Africa and Tanzania to establish study abroad programming and internship placements focused on issues of global health, women’s empowerment, and social cohesion. This program will diversify the institution’s student experiential learning opportunities and encourage sport management students to study abroad. Grant funds will be used to identify potential partnerships, perform site visits, and develop a syllabus for a short-term study abroad course.

Location: Chicago, IL
Program Title: Expanding Faculty Led Programs through Sustainable Study Abroad
Destination: Nepal
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: North Park University aims to expand virtual and in-person abroad options for undergraduate students by partnering with The Green Program, an experiential learning program focused on sustainable development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Grant funding will allow North Park to create an affordable and impactful study abroad program in Nepal focused on climate, energy, and the environment and increase the number of students who can access education abroad experiences. The project will also train selected faculty on integrating in-person and virtual study abroad experiences into their courses. Additionally, the institution aims to increase students’ access to climate change, climate action, and sustainable development education regardless of academic major.

Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Program Title: South America NAU: Fieldwork Semester
Destination: Chile, Peru 
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Northern Arizona University (NAU) seeks to build its capacity in study abroad programs, locations, and student diversity through the creation of a new fieldwork abroad program, South America NAU: Fieldwork Semester. This program will allow students to complete a four-week intensive virtual Spanish language course followed by a 12-week experiential education program in three different locations in South America: Valle Sagrado, Perú; Atacama, Chile; and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile. Students will engage in field work, take courses, and learn new skills in the following academic disciplines: anthropology, hotel and restaurant management, geography, planning and recreation, Spanish, environmental science, liberal studies, and general education. Through building these skills, students will gain the global competencies that will help advance the U.S. economy and expand professional opportunities for students in the U.S. workforce, especially within their industry-specific fields.

Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Program Title: The Collaborative Efforts to Enhance Study Abroad Project
Destination: Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

Project Summary: Oklahoma City Community College will partner with McMurry University in Abilene, TX, to improve study abroad opportunities for students and develop a study abroad program at each campus. The project team will collaborate with the Institute of Economy in Xalapa, Mexico to design an in-person summer program focused on sustainable conservation alternatives. This project will give students the opportunity to explore the ecosystems and culture of Veracruz and the Puebla states in Mexico. Through the development of awareness-building campaigns for students and building faculty knowledge about developing credit-based study abroad programs, the project team plans to increase the capacity and diversity of study abroad programs.

Location: Forest Grove, OR
Program Title: Global Scholars – French Polynesia
Destination: French Polynesia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health; Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Democracy and Human Rights

Project Summary: Pacific University aims to increase diverse student participation in study abroad programs through the development of a study abroad program to French Polynesia as part of its Global Scholars first-year seminar, an initiative that creates faculty-led study abroad opportunities for first-year students. As an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, a focus on the Pacific Islands is both relevant to the student body and aligns with U.S. foreign policy goals. In French Polynesia, students will have the opportunity to address topics such as traditional healthcare, economic development, and the impact of French colonialism on the country.

Location: Riverside, CA
Program Title: Diversifying & Expanding Global Learning Opportunities through Short-Term Study and Internship in Japan
Destination: Japan
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Riverside Community College District will use its IDEAS grant to develop more pathways for low-income and technical career students to participate in international experiences. On behalf of Moreno Valley College, Riverside College, and Norco College, Riverside Community College District will establish and pilot a short-term study abroad course in Japan with the option of an in-person or virtual internship component. Riverside Community College District aims to then use lessons learned from this pilot to establish a model for short-term study and internship abroad programs that it can replicate in other academic fields and geographic locations to further increase study abroad participation. The overall goal of the project is to identify new strategies, tools, and resources to advance economic opportunities for students who are interested in business, international business, global trade, and marketing. This project will ensure that community college students in the California Inlands are well-prepared with experiences that will enable them to compete in a global marketplace.

Location: De Pere, Wisconsin
Program Title: Getting Down to Business: Promoting Entrepreneurship and Economic Development through an International Business Case Competition
Destination: Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: St. Norbert College aims to develop a two-week immersive experience during the January term, in partnership with Mexico’s Universidad Panamericana. The program will be offered to students in the International Business and Language Area Studies majors and will focus on economic development and business issues related to U.S-Mexico relations. The intended goal of this IDEAS project is to increase the number of students studying abroad – particularly those from historically underrepresented groups — and improve accessibility by offering a shorter study abroad option. Additionally, St. Norbert College will develop and host a culminating business case competition, which will provide students the opportunity to showcase the knowledge and skills gained from the experience.

Location: Williamsville, NY
Program Title: Healthcare Disparities and Patient Outcomes in Ecuador
Destination: Ecuador
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health; Technology and Innovation

Project Summary: SUNY Erie Community College will develop a faculty-led hybrid service abroad program, which will be embedded in a global public health course for health science students. Students will participate in the course virtually and have the option to complete a service abroad component in Ecuador. In the course, made possible by the IDEAS grant, all students will use virtual reality technology to understand the leading causes of illness, death, and disability related to social, environmental, and political factors that affect health and well-being in Ecuador.  By engaging students in international programming around global health and technology and innovation, SUNY Erie Community College will ensure its students are well-equipped for the global workforce and prepared to tackle pressing health issues in the United States and abroad.

Location: Ewing Township, NJ
Program Title: Capacity Building for Comparative Global Public Health Engagement Between the U.S. and India
Destination: India
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Project Summary: The College of New Jersey’s IDEAS grant will help advance an existing collaboration between the institution and the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences in India. The two partners will develop joint curricula, virtual course components, and international faculty-led field experiences focused on global health, which will equip American and Indian faculty and students with comparative nursing, public health, and kinesiology skills. By engaging in research and educational projects with their Indian counterparts, The College of New Jersey’s students and faculty will gain an awareness of the health challenges faced in India and around the world, strengthen their global perspectives, and explore potential solutions to shared global health problems.

Location: Goleta, CA
Program Title: Study Abroad for All: Making UCEAP Accessible to Underrepresented Students
Destination: Global
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: The Communications and Engagement team at the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) will conduct research to gain a comprehensive understanding of gaps in its current marketing and advising materials in an effort to better understand students’ needs, especially those who are historically underrepresented in study abroad. This project, titled Study Abroad for All, will support focus groups and student user testing of UCEAP’s website. They will incorporate these learnings into creating more inclusive marketing and advising materials, such as the website, print materials, social media, and online publications for students, which will affect the entire University of California system by increasing study abroad applications across identity groups. There are significant potential economic impacts of this project, as students will have access to study abroad-specific reentry and career services that will help them integrate and leverage their learning from abroad to benefit their academic and career development.

Location: Aurora, CO
Program Title: Sanas Por Todos: Undergraduate Nursing Community and Public Health Immersion Learning in Guatemala
Destination: Guatemala
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Democracy and Human Rights; Global Health

Project Summary: The University of Colorado’s College of Nursing will use its IDEAS grant to create Sanas por Todos, or Health for All, a new immersion learning experience in Guatemala for community and public health students. This initiative will reduce barriers to study abroad for nursing students by combining an in-country and virtual learning model that will allow University of Colorado students to gain global learning experiences and meet graduation requirements. Nursing faculty will develop a sustainable, scalable program with an existing health clinic established by the University of Colorado School of Medicine in rural Guatemala. This course will give students the opportunity to compare and contrast family planning and contraceptive access and education between the two countries and its global implications. This learning experience will be the first of its kind for the University of Colorado, and it will meet a critical need for nursing students to develop skills necessary for providing culturally competent care in a rapidly globalizing world.

Location: Honolulu, HI
Program Title: Militourism and Indigenous Identities in Hawai‘i and Okinawa
Destination: Japan
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Kapi‘olani Community College, a Native Hawaiian-serving Institution and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution, will design and implement a week-long institute examining historical and contemporary issues related to the overlap of military bases, tourism, and indigenous peoples in Hawaii and Okinawa, Japan. The college seeks to expand upon its partnerships with institutions in Okinawa to provide study abroad offerings, particularly short-term and virtual programs that meet credit transfer requirements. These programs will focus on common priorities for both partner communities, such as closing skills gaps and spurring economic development in the natural resources and tourism industries and engaging foreign visitors in remediation efforts to promote local sustainability. Students will receive support from existing institutional services to ensure their success in this program, which will allow them to earn credit while exposing them to global issues and study abroad opportunities within the Asia-Pacific region.

Location: Orono, ME
Program Title: Initiating a Faculty-Led Study Abroad on Comparative Drug Policy in Lisbon, Portugal
Destination: Portugal
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Global Health

Project Summary: The University of Maine’s IDEAS grant will support the creation of a new three-week, faculty-led, immersive study abroad program on comparative drug policy between the United States and Portugal. The grant will provide critical resources that will help build and solidify a partnership between the University of Maine and Universidade Católica Portuguesa, as well as support student recruitment. The faculty-led program will provide an affordable alternative to semester-long study abroad opportunities in more expensive destinations and will prepare students with the knowledge and skills in comparing distinct public health approaches regarding the opioid crisis.

Location: Memphis, TN
Program Title: Expanding Access to Study Abroad
Destination: Costa Rica
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: The University of Memphis aims to increase access to study abroad for first-generation, low-income students by strengthening the capacity of its academic advisors to support students considering study abroad, especially during their first or second year of study. The institution will use grant funds to conduct site visits to Vernitas University in Costa Rica to introduce ten academic advisors to the staff, community, and processes necessary to grow study abroad participation. With more students able to study abroad, more students will gain the critical competencies needed for the global workforce.

Location: Minneapolis, MN
Program Title: Self-Actualizing Study Abroad: Comprehensive Support for TRIO and Indigenous Students
Destinations: Brazil
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Democracy and Human Rights

Project Summary: The College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with TRIO Student Support Services and community partners from Red Lake Nation, aims to increase access to global programming for underrepresented students through its new Self-Actualizing Study Abroad program. This program, supported by the IDEAS grant, will build on the College’s existing partnership with the Universidade Federal of Espirito Santo in Vitória, Brazil, and will explore comparisons between the United States and Brazil on issues such as diversity, indigenous communities, and social movements. The institution will also design and implement supporting resources and services, including information sessions and workshops for students on financial planning, general travel skills, health and safety, career integration, and the ethics of international engagement. Through this program, the College hopes to empower students and celebrate their unique cultural identities, enabling them to engage in civil society and advocacy.

Location: Rio Piedras, PR
Program Title: Broadening the Participation of Underrepresented Hispanic Minorities in International Education
Destinations: Brazil, Colombia
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment

Project Summary: The University of Puerto Rico aims to increase Hispanic student participation in study abroad through the innovative development of a virtual and in-person exchange titled International Seminar on Energy and Environment. This course will be embedded into the curriculum for students minoring in renewable energy and sustainability. Students will have the opportunity to virtually learn from faculty at partner institutions and participate in a four-week in-country study abroad program in Brazil and Colombia. As a response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the institution will use its IDEAS grant to train the next generation of green workers prepared to prevent and respond to climate disasters in the United States through experiential, global, and skill-based education.

Location: Mobile, AL
Program Title: Descendants Navigate Africa
Destinations: Benin, Cape Verde, Togo
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Technology and Innovation

Project Summary: The University of South Alabama will create a hybrid study abroad program called Descendants Navigate Africa that provides students the opportunity to explore shared heritage between Africatown, Alabama and West African communities. The IDEAS grant project will include a site visit to Togo and Benin for U.S. faculty to collaborate with their West African counterparts to design the virtual and in-person programming, which will focus on engaging students across countries on common topics related to civil society, education, journalism, and technology. This project aims to expose all students to less commonly traveled destinations with targeted outreach to increase the number of underrepresented students in study abroad, including African American students.

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Program Title: MESA:Mexico Experiential Storytelling Abroad
Destination: Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education

Project Summary: The University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will use its IDEAS grant to develop a dual language, semester-length, hybrid study abroad course in Mexico. The goals of the program are to increase underrepresented student participation and interest in study abroad, to strengthen civil society by training students in international journalism, and to contribute to deeper understanding in reporting on stories involving the United States and Mexico. This project will increase the school’s study abroad capacity by establishing its first semester-length study abroad course in Mexico and providing a credit-bearing study abroad course specifically designed to be accessible to underrepresented students. Additionally, the model for hybrid semester-length study abroad can be replicated with other countries to build additional capacity for more diverse destinations for study abroad at the institution.

Location: Arlington, TX
Program Title: An Interactive Cultural Exchange with Communities in Rural Kenya
Destination: Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: The University of Texas at Arlington, a Hispanic-serving institution, aims to diversify access to summer study abroad by creating affordable, experiential, full-credit courses. This project will build upon existing collaborations between the university’s School of Social Work and Collective for Orphan Care and Education, an international organization that works in rural Kenya, to develop an interactive service-learning, cross-disciplinary course accessible to diverse students and majors. This IDEAS project will increase multi-disciplinary learning options for students, diversify the university’s study abroad marketing strategies, and enhance resource sharing across departments, which will build capacity for future programs and establish foundations for campus and international collaborations.

Location: Seattle, WA
Program Title: International Indigenous Paths: Building Community Across the Canada-U.S. Border
Destination: Canada
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Democracy and Human Rights

Project Summary: The University of Washington, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution, will use its IDEAS grant to create International Indigenous Paths, supporting its goal of increasing the number of Indigenous students who study abroad. The University of Washington’s Native Scholars Program will partner with the University of British Columbia to recruit first-year Indigenous students and equip them with the tools to successfully navigate the study abroad experience, paving the way for future students to do the same. Several activities will support this objective, such as site visits to the University of British Columbia to introduce the students to peers, key staff, faculty members, and Indigenous spaces around campus; a faculty panel and class visits to give students an understanding of the academic opportunities available; and workshops to provide resources and guidance for students to navigate the study abroad application process. Through their experiences at the University of British Columbia, students will learn about Canadian climate change research and policy and leave with more knowledge and understanding of how Indigenous human rights are acknowledged and incorporated into the student experience at home and abroad.

Location: Laramie, WY
Program Title: Indigeneity in the Americas: Bahia, Brazil
Destination: Brazil
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Democracy and Human Rights

Project Summary: Through its IDEAS grant, the University of Wyoming will establish Indigeneity in the Americas: Bahia, Brazil, a faculty-led study abroad program that will bring undergraduate students together with members of the Pataxó Indigenous community in Brazil. The education abroad program will be based in the Native American and Indigenous Studies department and run by its faculty, which will help in the recruitment of Indigenous students and support sustainability of the program. The course will be an important contribution to the institution’s goals to expand the geographical reach of its study abroad programs, while also providing students with knowledge about Brazilian culture and insight into what it means to be Indigenous in Brazil. This study abroad course will be developed collaboratively with the Pataxó, who are working to revitalize their endangered language, and a key element of the course will be a first Language Revitalization Symposium. When students participate in this collaborative work with the Pataxó, while learning from them firsthand about historical genocide and ongoing erasure, they will gain insights into linguistic and cultural reclamation as a human rights issue, as well as how education can be used as a tool for social justice.

Location: Morgantown, WV
Program Title: Mountaineers Go First and Rise! Increasing Study Abroad Opportunities for First-Generation and Students of Color
Destinations: Belize, Wales
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Through its IDEAS grant, West Virginia University will create two faculty-led study abroad programs to Jamaica and Wales to provide more opportunities for first-generation, Black, and Latinx students to study abroad. These programs will be part of a new general education course that freshmen can take during their second semester. Both Jamaica and Wales have commonalities with the United States as English-dominant countries with minoritized languages and evolving mining industries, one of the state’s traditional industries. The program will enable students to experience the local culture, languages, and economies of each country and draw comparisons to the social and historical context of West Virginia. Students will confront topics such as the effects of colonialism on economic development, educational policies, and language rights. These experiences will help students gain the critical skills needed to succeed in an increasingly globalized and interconnected society.

Location: Chester, PA
Program Title: Coffee Culture: Widener’s Internship Program in Costa Rica
Destination: Costa Rica
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Climate, Energy, and the Environment; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Project Summary: Widener University will create a credit-bearing summer internship program in Costa Rica entitled Coffee Culture, aimed primarily at students of color, low-income students, and other students who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. The internship’s format and content are strategically designed to enhance students’ awareness of climate change, energy, and the environment, and can fit into all majors at the university. In collaboration with Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, student interns will explore the importance of agricultural communities to Costa Rica’s economic, cultural, social, and environmental wellbeing and will ultimately understand the connections between their own consumer habits and their impact on environments in other parts of the world. Through the development of a comprehensive, replicable model, the IDEAS grant will not only help launch the program itself, but it will also build the necessary framework to promote and advocate for study abroad to all students regardless of their academic goals and intended destinations.

Location: New Orleans, LA
Program Title: Develop Impactful Vietnam-based Education abroad and Reimagine Student Engagement
Destination: Vietnam
Foreign Policy Goal Focus: Global Health

Project Summary: Xavier University of Louisiana, a Historically Black University, will use its IDEAS grant to create the Develop Impactful Vietnam-based Education Abroad and Reimagine Student Engagement (DIVERSE) program. This initiative aims to increase student participation from two groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the university’s study abroad programs: male and Asian/Pacific Islander students. This program will extend the university’s institutional partnerships in the region and provide a course in which students can examine global health policies, interventions, and outcomes, shadow a local hospital, and network with local health experts in Vietnam.

Location:  Reading, PA
Program Title:  Diversifying Study Abroad Participation as Part of First Year Programming
Destinations: Ghana, Mexico, Ecuador
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources

Albright College plans to develop a Global Scholars Program that provides a month-long, faculty-led study abroad opportunity embedded within existing first-year student programming. This project aims to engage students from groups underrepresented in study abroad, especially minority, low-income, and first-generation students, by offering affordable study abroad options integrated into already established programming. The program is operating for the first year in Ecuador and will move to Mexico or Ghana for the second year, with a focus on food insecurity.

Location:  Boise, ID
Program Title:  Building Study Abroad Capacity Through Boise State Global Seminars
Destinations: Costa Rica
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources

Boise State University’s IDEAS-funded project aims to make study abroad more accessible for low-income and first-generation students through the creation of more accessible faculty-led programs. Since existing faculty-led study abroad programs at Boise State are restricted to elective courses on special topics, grant funds will develop a new overseas seminar in Costa Rica, University Foundations 200, that will serve as a general education requirement open to every academic program at the university. This credit-bearing study abroad course program will help U.S. students engage in hands-on learning, complete degree requirements, and gain a global experience during their second year of college. Students who participate in this program will gain transferrable intercultural skills in topics relevant to Idaho and Costa Rica, such as eco-tourism and natural resource management, that can spur entrepreneurship and economic growth in their own communities.

Location:  Bridgewater, MA
Program Title:  Study Abroad: Strengthening Racial Justice Programming and Improving Outcomes for Students of Color
Destinations: Global
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Bridgewater State University is using its IDEAS grant to create more inclusive programs and increase study abroad participation among students of color, who are currently underrepresented in its programs. Grant activities focus on training staff and faculty and developing advising resources, including campus programs, pre-departure orientations, and returnee programs that better prepare and support students of color studying abroad. Bridgewater State University is also creating two new faculty-led study abroad programs that address topics of inclusion and equity.

Location:  Centralia, WA
Program Title:  Founding Centralia College’s First Study Abroad Program: Taiwan
Destinations: Taiwan
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights;
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources; Public Health

Centralia College plans to establish its first-ever study abroad opportunity: a faculty-led program to Taiwan, through a partnership in Taipei with the Chinese Culture University Mandarin Learning Center. The grant also establishes Centralia’s first dedicated study abroad committee, which is responsible for promoting, implementing, and overseeing the launch of this program while ensuring its long-term success and sustainability. By creating its first study abroad program, Centralia College aims to help students develop global career skills that they can use to support their future careers and local communities.

Location:  Staten Island, NY
Program Title:  Faculty Driven Solutions to Increasing Participation in Study Abroad
Destinations: Global
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The College of Staten Island, a Hispanic-serving institution, aims to double the number of students who study abroad by the time they graduate. The college is offering faculty development workshops and travel grants to faculty to develop programs focused on democracy and human rights or economic development and entrepreneurship. The new programs explore difficult issues of self-governance, immigration, women’s empowerment, refugee resettlement, ending poverty and hunger, and access to clean water across the globe. Concurrently, the college is developing and implementing an outreach and marketing campaign to target students from underrepresented groups. To coordinate these grant initiatives and other capacity-building activities, the College of Staten Island has hired a new faculty-led program coordinator position, which the college will continue funding following the grant’s completion.

Location:  Des Moines, IA
Program Title:  Global Gateway in Panama
Destinations: Panama
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Countering Disinformation; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health

Drake University is using its IDEAS grant to expand the institution’s study abroad programming opportunities to all students, with a particular focus on Hispanic/Latino students. This project will be accomplished through three primary activities: partnership development, faculty-led program development, and research and marketing efforts. The IDEAS grant funding supports travel to Panama for Drake representatives to develop partnerships for academic, professional, and experiential learning opportunities for U.S. students abroad.  For example, Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, in partnership with the Spanish Department, is developing a short-term, faculty-led Spanish for Healthcare program in Panama. Additionally, Drake’s Global Education Office is surveying and analyzing its student population to help it develop targeted advising efforts and promotional events aimed at increasing study abroad participation of Hispanic/Latino students and other student populations underrepresented in study abroad.

Location:  Greenville, NC
Program Title:  Virtual Exchange to Study Abroad for the Arts (VESA for the Arts)
Destinations: Kenya, Taiwan
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

East Carolina University plans to develop and implement three arts-focused programs with hybrid, virtual, and in-person study abroad components as part of existing courses in dance, music, and art. Through collaborative art exhibitions, concerts, and dance performances, East Carolina students, in conjunction with partners from the receiving countries, learn about entrepreneurship in the arts from an international perspective. These programs highlight the works of female composers, artists, and choreographers through performances and exhibitions, elevating diverse voices in the arts. The programs help students develop practical career skills both in the arts and in the associated entrepreneurial activities that impact economic and community development.

Location:  Fayetteville, NC
Program Title:  Laying the Foundation: Empowering Faculty to Enhance Student Global Competencies at HBCUs
Destinations: Jamaica
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health

Fayetteville State University, in collaboration with Winston-Salem State University, plans to develop and implement an inaugural virtual exchange program for the institutions’ management, marketing, and entrepreneurship departments. This program focuses on a timely issue: developing new business ideas that address the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Collaboration between these two historically Black universities offers a unique experience for students and provides interdisciplinary research training for future generations of business leaders. It is also a first step toward Fayetteville State University’s long-standing goal of developing partnerships in the Caribbean.

Location:  Jacksonville, FL
Program Title:  Nurses Study & Explore Abroad (SEA)
Destinations: United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health

Florida State College at Jacksonville developed the Nurses Study and Explore Abroad (SEA) Project, a project-based virtual exchange experience for U.S. nursing students. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the international health care system remains unknown yet the pandemic has made it clear that public health is a global issue. To address this, the Nurses SEA Project worked with partners in the United Kingdom to create discussions, presentations, and group projects based on the work of the United Nations, World Health Organization, and other health organizations. Using live video conferencing and other virtual methods, the project allowed U.S. nursing students to share best practices and be culturally competent professionals. Florida State College at Jacksonville supplemented the program with staff training and resource development.

Location:  Goshen, IN
Program Title:  Building Capacity for Overcoming Barriers to Inclusive Study Abroad
Destinations: Ecuador, India, Senegal
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights;
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health; Energy and Natural Resources;

Goshen College is using its IDEAS grant to further the institution’s goal of moving toward a theme-based model of study abroad. In this model, semester-long or shorter courses address a global issue and service-learning placements align explicitly with students’ majors and career goals. Program activities under the grant will help pilot these efforts by creating two short-term sustainability courses in India focused on educating students about global issues of energy and natural resources. Additionally, Goshen College is adding new service-learning opportunities aligned with various U.S. foreign policy goals to its Ecuador and Senegal Study-Service Term programs. Goshen College is also working to increase the participation of diverse students in its programs by developing a peer-support program to help reach out to students underrepresented in study abroad and by training faculty in service-learning pedagogy and study abroad advocacy.

Location:  Auburn, WA
Program Title:  Global Exchange Academy
Destinations: Taiwan, Netherlands
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Energy and Natural Resources; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health

The IDEAS-funded Global Exchange Academy project at Green River College, an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-serving institution, trains and supports a cadre of community college faculty from institutions across the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad to develop credit-bearing international virtual exchange and/or hybrid short-term study abroad programs accessible to diverse students. Trainings will focus on supporting faculty to create virtual exchanges, embed in-person faculty-led trips in credit-bearing courses, and develop students’ intercultural competency. Through this collaborative training program, Green River College aims to build community college capacity across the state to develop and administer study abroad programs. In addition to these cross-institution trainings, Green River is also piloting hybrid in-person and virtual programs in Taiwan and the Netherlands.

Location:  Huntingdon, PA
Program Title:  Athletes Abroad: Scoring more students abroad through coach cultural cultivation
Destinations:  Chile, Czech Republic, Iceland, Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Civil Society, Journalism, and Education; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources

Juniata College’s IDEAS project seeks to engage athletes as a student population underrepresented in study abroad by building partnerships between eight athletic coaching staff and faculty members. These partnerships are developing four short-term courses abroad to nontraditional locations. The short-term courses engage the academic fields of business, economics, politics, physics, and environmental science and emphasize the following areas of U.S. foreign policy: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship (Czech Republic); Civil Society, Journalism, and Education (Czech Republic and Iceland); Energy and Natural Resources (Chile); and Democracy and Human Rights (Mexico). Participants learn about these foreign policy areas through the lens of leadership and community-engaged pedagogies, including active sports workshops, to help students connect more deeply with locals. Engaging coaches also grows study abroad advocates in key positions of influence on campus and will help Juniata College reach its goal of sending 50 percent of its student population abroad.

Location:  New Orleans, LA
Program Title:  Power in Movement: Social Justice Activism in and Between New Orleans and Mexico City
Destinations: Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Loyola University New Orleans increased the participation of first-generation and low-income students in its study abroad programs by creating a January-term cultural exchange with its sister Jesuit institution, Ibero-American University, in Mexico. This program focused on issues of social justice in Mexico, including the economic empowerment of underrepresented Mexican citizens and understanding what environmental justice looks like in a neighboring country. IDEAS grant funding supported pre-travel workshops, a planning visit, and the development of a specialized curriculum for this new program. The success of the program was highlighted in Loyola’s student newspaper, The Maroon.

Location: Jersey City, NJ
Program Title: Social work, Refugees & Immigrants in the Global City
Destination: Greece
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Countering Disinformation; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health

Through its IDEAS grant, New Jersey City University, a Hispanic-serving institution, plans to create the Social Work, Refugee, and Immigrants in the Global City project. This multifaceted project is designed to increase opportunities for social work and sociology students to have international academic and practicum experiences. New Jersey City University is creating an overseas course on social work with refugees and immigrants in an international setting, developing a consortium of international universities to allow for future student practicums in additional destinations, and remotely convening a consortium of faculty from universities in diverse locations to develop a curriculum on social work pedagogy for students working with refugees.

Location: Naperville, IL
Program Title: Internationalizing the Curriculum: Education Abroad Integration for Teachers and Engineers
Destination: Greece, Ireland
Foreign Policy Goals(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Through this IDEAS grant, North Central College aims to integrate semester-long education abroad opportunities into its academic curriculum to increase accessibility and build confidence and curiosity for global engagement at the institution. North Central College is creating a replicable model for curriculum integration of study abroad programs, sending its representatives abroad to conduct academic-specific site visits, and implementing strategic outreach initiatives to increase participation among education and engineering students. By focusing on students enrolled in the two most underrepresented majors in study abroad at North Central College, the Internationalizing the Curriculum: Education Abroad Integration for Teachers and Engineers initiative creates a model for access and opportunity for all students and inserts experiential learning into the college’s academic programs. These programs will equip students with skills for the modern workforce, building critical intercultural and career competencies.

Location: Annandale, VA
Program Title: Countering Disinformation Through Study Abroad and Community Engagement
Destination: United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goals Addressed: Countering Disinformation; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Northern Virginia Community College, a Hispanic-serving institution, aims to create study abroad programming complemented by virtual exchange and community service for its students interested in cybersecurity. In collaboration with its partner, Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland, Northern Virginia Community College is developing a three-track, eight-week, faculty-led study abroad program, titled The Ethical Hacking Cybersecurity Bootcamp. This program is specifically designed for the needs of its community college students to ensure affordability and flexibility, allowing students to choose between virtual, hybrid, and in-person programming.

Location: Prairie View, TX
Program Title: Agri-Business in the Bahamas: A Study Abroad Pathway
Destination: Brazil, The Bahamas
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources

Prairie View A&M University aims to create a pathway program for U.S. undergraduate students in its College of Business and College of Agriculture and Human Sciences to participate in short-term and semester-long study abroad opportunities. As a historically Black university serving underrepresented populations in study abroad, a proactive pathway program that outlines how to incorporate study abroad into a student’s academic plan early in their academic career is necessary to increase study abroad participation. Through its IDEAS grant, the university is developing cross-disciplinary faculty-led programs in Brazil and The Bahamas for sophomore students enrolled in entrepreneurship and food distribution systems courses.

Location: Newark, NJ
Program Title: Mediterranean Displacements: Refugees, Exile, and Migration from Antiquity to the Present
Destination: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights

Rutgers University-Newark, a Hispanic-serving institution, aims to increase the participation of its U.S. undergraduate students in study abroad opportunities by establishing a portfolio of four affordable, short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs in the Mediterranean. Two embedded and two short-term summer study abroad programs to Italy, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Jordan are linked to established, popular courses across several departments and disciplines. Across the programs, students will gain a better understanding of democracy and human rights in each country, building intercultural career competencies and preparing them for success beyond graduation. Using grant funds, Rutgers-Newark faculty and staff are traveling to four locations to establish institutional partnerships, design itineraries and syllabi, and prepare budgets. Upon their return, those documents will be formalized and registered as official study abroad programs which will then be marketed to students.

Location: Salem, MA
Program Title: Building Capacity through Outreach, COIL, and Global Health Experiences
Destination: Costa Rica
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Public Health

Salem State University, a comprehensive public regional higher education institution and emerging Hispanic-serving institution, is using its IDEAS grant funding to increase the participation of its student population in study abroad programming. Salem State University is developing five new general education virtual exchange courses and one in-person healthcare studies course in Costa Rica. Moreover, the university is increasing outreach efforts to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking students and their families through the translation of its website and other related materials. The intended results of these initiatives include providing a virtual global exchange for at least 150 students per year in their first or second years of college, creating opportunities for 15 students per year to have a global internship, and developing a sustainable outreach capacity to make all students and families aware of study abroad.

Location: Savannah, GA
Program Title: STEAM Power: Course Creation Integrating Study Abroad and Experiential Learning at an HBCU
Destination: Aruba, Guyana, Peru
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Countering Disinformation; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

Savannah State University, Georgia’s oldest historically Black university, plans to expand its study abroad programs by creating new courses focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The project partners academic departments that have historically low study abroad participation with academic departments with historically high study abroad participation. These partnerships will allow the departments to create cross-discipline study abroad programs in affordable locations, helping to make study abroad more accessible to all students at Savannah State University. These programs will build U.S. students’ intercultural competencies and global knowledge, equipping them with transferrable skills for the modern workforce. Faculty selected to participate in the course creation process will also receive training on course development and administration and will travel to selected locations, such as Aruba, Guyana, and Peru, to establish partnerships and develop programs.

Location: Columbus, OH
Program Title: Fisher DEI Global Scholars Program
Destination: Dominican Republic
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business plans to implement the Fisher Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Global Scholars program. This program recruits diverse U.S. undergraduate students, with a focus on those from backgrounds underrepresented in study abroad, to participate in an experiential learning experience consulting with micro-enterprises in the Dominican Republic. The Ohio State University is using grant funds to establish a pre-departure course, match students with mentors, formulate the program abroad, and conduct a post-program evaluation. As a result of this program, Ohio State students have the opportunity to participate in hands-on consulting projects that address economic development and entrepreneurship on the ground in the Dominican Republic.

Location: Tucson, AZ
Program Title: Navigating Education in Borderlands Program
Destination: Mexico
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights

The University of Arizona, a Hispanic-serving institution, expanded the institution’s Navigating Education in Borderlands Program. Through this program, University of Arizona students explore cross-border topics related to democracy and human rights, build cultural competencies, and learn about the history, people, and culture of the intersecting borderlands area of the United States, Mexico, and Native Nations where the university resides. The program utilizes the institution’s positionality and expertise to offer a signature study abroad program on the Borderlands that engages traditionally underrepresented undergraduate students, such as Black, Indigenous, first-generation, and low-income students. The IDEAS grant supported capacity-building efforts, such as expanding the program to include virtual opportunities so it is more accessible for diverse students, updating the curriculum, and strengthening collaborations that solidify the program as a distinguished educational offering at the University of Arizona.

Location: Champaign, IL
Program Title: Sophomore Year of Purpose: Development of Gies Global Hubs
Destination: Ghana, Greece, Ecuador, China
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights;
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources; Public Health

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign aims to develop the Sophomore Year of Purpose program at its Gies College of Business. This program will be housed at four new international hubs in Accra, Ghana; Athens, Greece; Haining, China; and Quito, Ecuador and complements an existing hub in Chicago, Illinois. These global hubs offer students education and experiential opportunities abroad, including project-based learning and internships, centered around themes such as sustainability, education, health and wellness, socioeconomic disparity, and justice. Under this program, U.S. students in their sophomore year take their second-year courses away from campus and/or online so they can explore their personal, academic, and career goals in an international context.

Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Program Title: Breaking Down Barriers for Underrepresented Students to Study Abroad: First-Year Experience and Building Professional Skills for Advisors
Destination: South Korea
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights

Through its IDEAS grant, the University of Utah’s Office for Global Engagement and TRIO Programs Office jointly facilitated a training session for TRIO advisors at the University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) in South Korea. During their training, TRIO advisors had the opportunity to interact with first-year TRIO students participating in a first-year international experience at UAC, thereby increasing their understanding of students’ experiences abroad and how study abroad impacts students’ careers. Upon their return to campus, TRIO advisors built a strategic advising program and staff outreach plan to increase the participation of underrepresented students and expand student interest in studying abroad in South Korea.

Location: Milwaukee, WI
Program Title: Black Lives Matter: A Global Comparative Study
Destination: United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee aims to increase the participation of underrepresented students of color in study abroad by supporting faculty development, curriculum design, and targeted outreach. The university is recruiting five diverse faculty leaders to create and execute a global comparative course and accompanying study abroad program to the United Kingdom. This program will explore topics related to democracy, human rights, and justice that the university has identified as areas of interest for its students of color. By developing an affordable study abroad program that is aligned with students’ interests and led by diverse faculty, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plans to make study abroad more accessible for student groups currently underrepresented in its programs.

Location: Bowling Green, KY
Program Title: Counties to Countries: Building Study Abroad Capacity for Rural Americans
Destination: United States
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship; Energy and Natural Resources

Western Kentucky University’s IDEAS-funded Counties to Countries program is designed to rethink study abroad from the perspective of students from small, rural communities and to develop programs that match their needs and goals. Western Kentucky University first plans to develop study abroad programs for first-year students from three of its Living Learning Programs (agriculture, engineering and applied sciences, and sustainability) as part of this initiative. These initial programs will address issues of energy and natural resources in a global context, equipping students with transferrable intercultural skills and knowledge. Once the structure has been established, Western Kentucky University plans to expand the model for use in other disciplines. This project is part of the university’s larger goal of increasing graduation rates for its rural students, who have been shown to graduate at higher rates if they participate in an education abroad experience.

Location:  Berea, OH
Program Title:  Diversifying Study Abroad through Technology and Public Health in Guatemala
Destination: Guatemala
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Cyber Issues; Public Health

The Computing in Guatemala program aims to increase the participation of computer science majors at Baldwin Wallace University in study abroad and expand opportunities for students to study in Central America. In the Computing in Guatemala program, computer science students will collaborate with a non-profit, Mission Guatemala, to develop, deploy, and maintain a custom medical record software system for its health clinic. Annually, future computer science student cohorts will build upon this initial work by expanding the software, adding new features for medical record-keeping, and traveling to Guatemala to update the software, provide maintenance, and train Mission Guatemala staff. Students, therefore, gain concrete computer science skills, as well as international experience.

Location:  Glen Ellyn, IL
Program Title:  College of DuPage Africa Initiative
Destination: Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:  Infrastructure; Natural Resources/Sustainable Agriculture

The College of DuPage plans to develop the College of DuPage Africa Initiative, which integrates service-learning into a sustainable model for interdisciplinary study abroad at a community college. Highlighting non-traditional disciplines for study abroad, College of DuPage faculty will lead three simultaneous groups of students studying either environmental sustainability or sustainable architecture to Kenya. These students will also participate in an overarching humanities course focused on human rights issues while studying history, culture, and faith traditions. The goal of this pilot is to create and test a model that can be replicated in other underrepresented study abroad destinations. With their IDEAS grant, College of DuPage faculty will travel to Kenya to collaborate with partners on program planning. Funding also supports the establishment of a faculty professional development curriculum that addresses issues such as the ethics of service-learning.

Location:  Glenwood Springs, CO
Program Title: Creation of a New Study Abroad Experience in Chile – Pucon Kayak Retreat Cooperative Leadership and Management Program
Destination: Chile
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:  Closing the Skills Gap; Energy and Natural Resources; Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Colorado Mountain College developed a new long-term study abroad program in Chile that built upon the success of its existing short-term study abroad program in the region. The program concentrates on teaching entrepreneurial business and recreation industry skills focused on sustainability to rural U.S. community college students who would otherwise not consider participating in a study abroad experience. Grant funding from the IDEAS Program supported faculty training, exploratory trips to Chile, curriculum development and materials, and program marketing to establish this new program.

Location: Baltimore, MD
Program Title: Expanding Study Abroad for Underrepresented Students in a Maryland Community College Consortium
Destinations: Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Public Health

The Community College of Baltimore aims to develop two sustainable faculty-led study abroad programs to the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago. These programs, created by a consortium consisting of six partner community colleges, are designed to expand study abroad access for racial/ethnic minority and rural community college students from Maryland in occupational fields of study, with a particular focus on public health and entrepreneurship. Grant funding supports exploratory international trips for faculty, implementation of virtual international programming, and the creation of promotional materials to market the programs to diverse students.

Location:  Atlanta, GA
Program Title: Increasing African American Male Participation in Study Abroad  
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap

Georgia State University’s IDEAS grant, which concluded in May 2022, focused on addressing the severe underrepresentation of African American men in its study abroad programs through a systematic outreach effort utilizing existing structures, partnerships, and networks that support these students. Georgia State University trained African American male faculty and peer advisors to serve as role models who engage AAM students and demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of study abroad. Grant funding from the IDEAS Program also helped the university to establish a new advisor position in the study abroad office to focus on engaging with African American students. Through this grant, Georgia State University was able to reach approximately 200 new African American male students on campus, thereby increasing the number of these students studying abroad and gaining critical career skills.

Location:  Kennesaw, GA
Program Title:  Ghana: Gateway to Africa
Destination: Ghana
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Trade Policy

Kennesaw State University increased its capacity to engage U.S. undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in study abroad – such as first-generation students, students with disabilities, and racial, ethnic, and gender minorities – so that more students graduate with the global knowledge and skills needed to spur entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development in their local communities. Kennesaw State University developed information sessions, workshops, and physical and virtual promotion materials for a study abroad program to Ghana targeted at underrepresented students to improve the visibility of study abroad on campus and its benefits. These materials serve as long-term resources for intentional and sustained outreach and recruitment efforts on campus. Kennesaw State University collaborated with the University System of Georgia Africa Council, Savannah State University, and Albany State University (both Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Georgia state system) on recruitment activities to increase effectiveness and engagement with students from diverse backgrounds.

Location:  Lincoln, PA
Program Title:  Global Opportunities to Advance the Lincoln Legacy
Destination: Ghana

Lincoln University’s Global Opportunities to Advance the Lincoln Legacy (GOALL) program equipped students with the skills, knowledge, and experience to thrive in a globally connected world by bolstering education abroad opportunities. IDEAS funding was used to help create a faculty-led, cohort-based, short-term study abroad program, support a new study abroad position at the university to focus on study abroad advising and application management, and increase minority student access in study abroad through targeted events.

Location:  Brockton, MA     
Program Title:  Study Abroad at Massasoit
Destinations: Costa Rica, Morocco, Portugal

Massasoit Community College’s capacity-building project, Study Abroad at Massasoit, formalizes a faculty-led study abroad program model at the institution that targets underrepresented racial and/or ethnic minority, low-income, and/or first-generation students. Massasoit Community College is creating a replicable course design for faculty-led study abroad programs that provide accessible, affordable, and consistent experiences for students, regardless of destination. Building off an existing program to Costa Rica, the college is developing two additional travel modules: Morocco and the Azores (Portugal). These three programs support Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese language study for U.S. students across multiple majors. IDEAS grant funding will support faculty participation in professional development activities and exploratory visits abroad to research curriculum opportunities.

Location:  Itta Bena, MS
Program Title: Expanding Horizons: Building Study Abroad Capacity at a Small, Southern, Rural Institution

Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black university, is using its IDEAS grant funding to engage students, faculty, staff, and administrators across campus to strengthen study abroad initiatives and increase institutional support for study abroad. Mississippi Valley State University is building study abroad awareness among students and their parents through a year-round marketing campaign and the development of pre-study abroad programming. The university is also providing training and resources to help faculty develop new study abroad programs and internationalize their curricula. Mississippi Valley State University has already successfully conducted a series of virtual activities that are leading to increased interest in study abroad programming on campus.

Location: Billings, MT
Program Title: General Education Model for Study Abroad
Destinations: Belize, Italy, North Macedonia, Peru
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Democracy and Human Rights; Energy and Natural Resources; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management; Public Health; Women’s Empowerment

Montana State University Billings plans to increase and diversify student participation in study abroad by developing a new model of faculty-led, short-term trips that combine study abroad with full credit, general education courses. Montana State University Billings aims to create an easily replicable General Education model for study abroad, and pilot four faculty-led intersession programs promoting the study of natural resources, human rights, women’s empowerment, public health, and migration concerns in four different countries. By creating short-term, affordable study abroad programs that fulfill general education courses, Montana State University Billings aims to make study abroad accessible to all students no matter their major or financial status.

Location:  Las Cruces, NM
Program Title: Expanding Study Abroad Engagement Through Academic Advising Collaboration

New Mexico State University increased student participation in study abroad by training Center for Academic Advising and Student Support advisors on how to help students navigate the study abroad process so that students can smoothly integrate international experiences into their academic plans. Training of these advisors took multiple forms, including shadowing Office of Education Abroad advisors, participating in study abroad fairs, and attending education abroad-specific professional development opportunities in-person or virtually.

Location:  Flagstaff, AZ
Program Title:  Community Development Experiences in Malawi  
Destination: Malawi
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Infrastructure; Women’s Empowerment

Northern Arizona University’s Center for International Education and the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Science plans to build upon a new partnership with the Malawi University of Science and Technology and other local partners to develop a faculty-led study abroad program. This program fills a gap at Northern Arizona University by providing a study abroad program to Sub-Saharan Africa while offering engineering students the opportunity to collaborate with local community organizations on projects related to topics important to U.S. foreign policy, such as entrepreneurship, infrastructure development, and women’s empowerment.

Location: Oakland County, MI
Program Title: Delivering Globally focused Education through Virtual Exchange and Study Abroad Partnerships
Destination: Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

To address the needs of underrepresented community college students in the context of a global pandemic, Oakland Community College is using its IDEAS grant funding to design cost-effective, scalable, and replicable virtual exchange and study abroad opportunities for a wide range of courses offered at the college. These program options achieve the goal of providing affordable global opportunities with transferable credits to underrepresented community college students. Since receiving the IDEAS grant, Oakland Community College has integrated global immersion experiences into a multitude of courses on its campus, providing over 200 U.S. students access to international education opportunities each semester.

Location:  Dayton, OH
Program Title:  Sinclair Public Health IDEAS
Destination: Belize, Ireland
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health

Sinclair Community College’s IDEAS-funded program aims to fill a gap in international programming by offering the first study abroad experience for health science students focused on public health and comparative health systems in Ireland. By building an affordable public health study abroad program held over the spring break or between Spring and Summer semesters, health sciences students will participate and become better prepared to engage cross-culturally with the increasingly diverse medical patient population in Dayton, Ohio. To date, Sinclair Community College staff have developed virtual exchange programming with partners in Colombia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries, and are now working to develop an in-person, health-sciences-focused study abroad program to Ireland.

Location: Denton, TX
Program Title:  Global Bilingual Community Healthcare Initiative at TWU
Destination: Guatemala
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health

Texas Woman’s University aimed to produce qualified medical interpreters and bilingual healthcare providers by creating a medical immersion study abroad program targeting underrepresented nursing and health sciences students. This project fulfilled a local community need for bilingual healthcare workers, increased racial/ethnic minority student participation in study abroad, and engaged students in a faculty-led study abroad program around the themes of public health and women’s empowerment. After using IDEAS grant funding to develop a bilingual healthcare curriculum, conduct partner outreach, and recruit and train faculty and students, Texas Woman’s University conducted a ten-day medical immersion experience in Guatemala, which also expanded to include students studying Dental Health.

Location:  Towson, MD
Program Title:  Towson University Tigers Abroad
Destination: Brazil
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap; Cyber Issues; Democracy and Human Rights; Economic Development and Trade Policy; Energy and Natural Resources; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Infrastructure; Public Health

To expand its study abroad portfolio and increase and diversify access to study abroad, Towson University is using its IDEAS grant funding to create and deliver a 12-day experiential faculty-led study abroad program in Rio de Janeiro and Florianopolis, Brazil, targeting underrepresented and low-income incoming freshman and transfer students. During the program, participants will examine the complexity of metropolitan regions in the United States and Brazil as well as the physical, social, economic, and political factors that shape these areas. Students will study urban development in an international context through an interdisciplinary framework aligned with U.S. foreign policy goals. Topics addressed in this program will include democracy, human rights, infrastructure, and public health. Academic visits, lectures by industry leaders, and group discussions will all contribute to students’ knowledge in target areas.

Location: Martin, TN
Program Title:  Rural America in Siena, Italy: Growing UTM Study Abroad
Destination: Italy
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Trade Policy; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

The University of Tennessee at Martin developed an innovative study abroad program that provided underserved and underrepresented students with a unique and affordable semester-long experience in Siena, Italy. This program focused on sustainable agriculture, connecting the rich agricultural traditions of West Tennessee and Tuscany, Italy to provide a unique program that better prepared students for careers in agriculture, while also giving them an experience abroad. The program was designed with the goal of engaging U.S. students enrolled in agricultural science programs, students of color, first-generation students, and students from low-income families, all of whom are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad programs.

Location: San Juan, PR
Program Title: Diversifying U.S. Study Abroad by Increasing Access for Hispanic Students
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Universidad del Sagrado Corazon successfully completed its IDEAS grant objectives of increasing and diversifying study abroad representation through the creation of Spanish-language audiovisual study abroad resources and materials. These resources were created to be culturally appropriate and relevant for U.S. Hispanic students and their families, allowing them to be more informed about available study abroad opportunities and scholarships and the benefits of international experience to students. These resources will be shared with and utilized by study abroad offices across the country and have already been posted to the websites of several colleges and universities.

Location: Birmingham, AL
Program Title:  World Blazers: Equipping Faculty, Supporting Students, and Expanding Access
Destinations: Japan, Kenya, Spain, United Kingdom
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Cyber Issues; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Democracy and Human Rights; Public Health

The University of Alabama at Birmingham aims to increase and diversify its undergraduate students who complete short- and long-term study abroad programs through the training and support of Education Abroad Faculty Fellows. Faculty in this program participate in capacity-building workshops and international site visits designed to prepare them to implement high-quality, affordable study abroad programs in fields essential to U.S. foreign policy interests, such as cyber issues and democracy and human rights. Grant funds will also support the development of an inaugural semester-long study abroad program in Wales.

Location: Gainesville, FL
Program Title:  U.S.-Korea Global Design Thinking Alliance for Community College Students
Destination: South Korea
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap

The University of Florida’s U.S.-Korea Global Design Thinking Alliance for Community College Students program addresses low study abroad participation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics students through the creation of a new faculty-led study-abroad program to South Korea. This 12-week immersive summer program is for students in the University of Florida’s Gator Engineering at Santa Fe College program, taught by University of Florida faculty for community college students. By connecting students with global engineering opportunities, the University of Florida builds U.S. students’ intercultural competencies and equips them with skills for the modern workforce. The University of Florida is using its IDEAS grant funding to conduct site visits and establish and strengthen partnerships with South Korean universities, research institutions, and companies for this program.

Location:  Houston, TX
Program Title: Food Security in Contemporary Oman: Small Scale Local Producers, the Global Food Industry, and Evolving National Consumption Habits
Destination: Oman
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Food Security

The University of Houston-Clear Lake expanded its study abroad offerings in the Middle East by developing a faculty-led program to the Sultanate of Oman. This project advanced the IDEAS Program’s goals of diversifying American student mobility by supporting underrepresented student participation in study abroad to an under-visited region of the world. The project also exposed students to elementary Arabic, one of the State Department’s designated critical languages, while focusing on food security, a pressing issue due to growing concerns about climate change. Project activities included developing promotional materials, conducting site visits, and planning student workshops to encourage and prepare students to study abroad. The IDEAS-funded program to Oman was featured in a 2021 UHCL news article.

Location:  Menomonie, WI
Program Title:  Advancing Diversity & Inclusion through Heritage-Based Faculty-Led Programs
Destinations: Costa Rica, Thailand
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The University of Wisconsin-Stout (UW-Stout) plans to launch a new heritage-based faculty-led study abroad program series that will allow students to explore their identities through programming in destinations relevant to their cultural histories. By doing so, UW-Stout aims to engage students from underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in study abroad. It is developing a program to Thailand targeting Hmong students and a program to Costa Rica targeting Hispanic students, though students of all backgrounds will benefit from these programs. Receiving the IDEAS grant served as a catalyst for support on UW-Stout’s campus and allowed access to more than $75,000 in additional donor funding to support students in these programs.

Location:  Utica, NY
Program Title: Inter-Professional Education in Healthcare Abroad
Destinations: Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health

Utica University, formerly Utica College, created the Inter-Professional Education in Healthcare Abroad Project to establish three new short-term faculty-led study abroad programs for health professions students. This population comprises 38 percent of all undergraduate students at the institution but is underrepresented in its study abroad programs. Using IDEAS grant funding, Utica faculty are conducting site visits to Ecuador, Egypt, and Ghana to evaluate experiential learning sites, assess local educational content options, review safety and security, and develop pre-departure orientations for students. The new program expands international opportunities to U.S. undergraduates in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and therapeutic recreation and provides them with a comparative health context through interactions with healthcare practitioners working in a variety of urban and rural centers.

Location:  Worcester, MA
Program Title:  Experiential Learning Abroad for Worcester’s Working Adult: Faculty-Led Programming in Professional & STEM Fields
Destinations: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Mexico, Thailand
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:  Human Rights; Infrastructure; Public Health

Worcester State University’s project builds faculty capabilities to offer study abroad programming in professional/STEM fields; increases the capacity for student communication and peer-to-peer mentorship; and develops the administrative infrastructure to support 120-180 U.S. students in studying abroad over the next four years. To achieve these stated objectives, this project uses IDEAS grant funding to conduct faculty site visits, forge new partnerships for short-term programs, deliver faculty workshop modules and trainings, and hire a student engagement specialist to implement a communication plan to connect underserved students with study abroad opportunities. The project’s strategic investment in faculty capabilities for short-term programming will deliver long-term returns in the form of ongoing programs focusing on energy and natural resources, high-tech sectors, urban planning, refugees, and public health.

Location: Anchorage, AK
Program Title:  Study Abroad in the Circumpolar North
Destinations: Iceland, Norway, Denmark
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management; Infrastructure; Public Health

Alaska Pacific University’s Study Abroad in the Circumpolar North project aimed to increase and diversify undergraduate student participation in international education activities by engaging Alaska Native students with Indigenous peoples in the Circumpolar North. Through faculty and staff development activities, collaboration with international partners, and consultation with Indigenous elders, Alaska Pacific University developed a new, multidisciplinary study abroad program that was relevant to Alaska Native students in academic programs of critical importance to both the state of Alaska and wider U.S. foreign policy goals, such as natural resource management, infrastructure development, and public health.

Location: Sioux Falls, SD
Destination: Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

Augustana University achieved its grant goals of conducting research into the study abroad needs of underrepresented students on their campus and developing an interdisciplinary faculty-led course to Kenya to help address those identified needs. Augustana’s campus research indicated a need for programming for students in less common majors, as well as athletes. As a result of their IDEAS grant, faculty-led travel courses have been added to the following majors: biology, education, environmental sciences, government, physics/mathematics, and exercise science. In 2022, Augustana sent a group of students and faculty to the Mudhiero Secondary School in Siaya District Western Kenya, realizing its goal of developing and running this course as a collaboration between its departments of education and biology.

Location: Charlotte, NC
Program Title:  South Africa 2020: Transformative Learning through Community Engagement
Destination: South Africa
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Public Health

In partnership with Davidson County Community College, Central Piedmont Community College developed a two-week, faculty-led study abroad program to Cape Town, South Africa focused on students enrolled in business, nursing, and zoology programs, majors that are currently underrepresented in study abroad. With IDEAS grant funding, Central Piedmont Community College and Davidson County Community College created a study abroad marketing plan, hosted a series of study abroad workshops and cultural events in South Africa, developed curricula for humanities courses, and conducted a site visit to evaluate and confirm local partners in South Africa.

Location: Eau Claire, WI
Program Title: Experiencing Postsecondary Learning Overseas through Relevant Education (EXPLORE)
Destination: Belize
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap

Chippewa Valley Technical College successfully achieved its IDEAS grant project goal to expand institutional capacity to offer study abroad opportunities to students in two-year occupational programs. Chippewa Valley Technical College increased its capacity to administer study abroad programs by providing professional development and networking opportunities for faculty members, exploring study abroad prospects in Belize and other regions, and developing faculty-led study abroad experiences within occupational programs. Its IDEAS grant activities culminated in the successful development of two study abroad programs to Belize in early 2020, impacting fifteen nursing students and ten education students. Additionally, three faculty and staff members were able to participate in an established study abroad program to Thailand, allowing them to observe the experience and gain skills and knowledge around program implementation that they can use to develop additional study abroad programming in the future.

Location: New Orleans, LA

Dillard University, a historically Black university, achieved its goal of increasing and diversifying the population of its students studying abroad by creating its first dedicated Study Abroad Program Office to encourage more diverse student and faculty participation. Through this grant, Dillard University also hired a dedicated study abroad staff member to coordinate and consolidate campus study abroad efforts. This person will advise students on study abroad programming, coordinate faculty development of international programs, and lead overall international marketing efforts. Dillard University anticipates that the resulting increase in study abroad participation will allow them to sustain these grant-funded activities beyond the conclusion of its IDEAS grant.

Location: Teaneck, NJ
Program Title:  Diversifying Study Abroad by Increasing the Participation of STEM Majors
Destinations: Austria, Grenada
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Cyber Issues; Energy and Natural Resources; Infrastructure; Public Health

Fairleigh Dickinson University increased participation of underrepresented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in study abroad by developing four new short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs, which were focused on four foreign policy priorities and designed to meet the needs of STEM majors. Each new program was hosted by an international partner in a country less frequently visited by Fairleigh Dickinson students. Grant funds were also used to train STEM faculty, who served as advocates to their faculty peers and mentors to their students, thereby sustaining increased participation of STEM students in study abroad post-grant.

Location: Frederick, MD
Program Title: Building Institutional Capacity for Diverse International Trips
Destinations: Ghana
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Cyber Issues; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Public Health

Frederick Community College successfully achieved its IDEAS grant project goal of diversifying its current study abroad offerings and increasing student access by providing its faculty with incentives, professional development, and other resources to develop sustainable and accessible study abroad programming. Frederick Community College completed a planning trip to Ghana in January 2020 with four faculty who had never traveled to the African continent nor led a study abroad program. As a result, four faculty-led courses to Ghana were developed for some of the college’s highest enrolled programs, including nursing, English, sociology, and communications.

Location: Washington, DC
Program Title: An Interactive Guide to Accessible Education Abroad for Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing College Students
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap

Gallaudet University developed, collected, and publicly disseminated best practices in providing access to college students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing to increase their participation in study abroad and thus their acquisition of important global career skills. The public availability of these resources has strengthened the capacity of U.S. colleges and universities nationwide to overcome obstacles that hinder deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing students in making global learning a part of their college experience.

Location: Overland Park, KS
Program Title: Expanding Study Abroad Opportunities for Science and Career/Tech Ed Students Focusing on Global Sustainability
Destinations: Canada, Costa Rica, Martinique, and Morocco
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Energy and Natural Resources; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

Johnson County Community College successfully achieved its IDEAS grant project goal of establishing four new study abroad programs exploring sustainability initiatives across the globe. This project sent seven faculty members from different disciplines on planning trips to Canada, Costa Rica, Martinique, and Morocco. During these planning trips, faculty established partnerships with sustainable agriculture farmers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations focused on renewal resource management and educational institutions.

Location: Starkville, MS
Program Title: Establishing a Study Abroad Coordinator Position within The Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine to Bridge International Research Faculty and Teaching Faculty for Study-Abroad Development and Sustainability
Destinations: Guatemala, Kenya
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Closing the Skills Gap; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management; Women’s Empowerment

Mississippi State University used its IDEAS grant to create a study abroad coordinator position within its Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Through the creation of this new position and the development of new and engaging programs, Mississippi State University grew study abroad in the division through enhancing course offerings, institutionalizing the study abroad recruitment and enrollment processes, and ensuring lasting progress on the goal of having 25 percent of the division’s graduates participate in an international experience. Mississippi State University successfully implemented the Guatemala Livestock Education study abroad program for 20 students and also launched a new study abroad program to Kenya for 14 students in May 2022.

Location: Chicago, IL
Program Title:  Expanding Institutional Capacity to Deliver More Study Abroad Options to Non-Traditional Students

Northeastern Illinois University achieved its IDEAS project goal of strengthening its capacity to engage underrepresented student groups in affordable study abroad opportunities, including low-income, first-generation, and African American students. Northeastern Illinois University established institutional partnerships in Africa to expand its programming to previously underrepresented locations and to meet student demand for overseas opportunities aligned with its African and African American Studies program. The university also expanded its marketing materials and campaigns and identified additional funding sources to lower costs and make study abroad accessible for more students.

Location: Winsted, CT
Destination: France, Spain

Northwestern Connecticut Community College’s IDEAS grant built study abroad capacity on its campus by introducing students and faculty to the opportunities and benefits of study abroad and made international education experiences more accessible for its diverse student population. Using IDEAS grant funding, Northwestern Connecticut Community College hired a Study Abroad Coordinator, a new position, to create virtual international experiences for faculty and students. These virtual international experiences became modules that faculty in any discipline can use to introduce global learning topics in their courses and highlight the value of going abroad to students who might not otherwise consider studying abroad. Along with these centrally coordinated experiences, faculty also partnered with faculty from institutions in France and Spain to develop and implement virtual exchange programs.

Location: Forest Grove, OR
Program Title: The Global Scholars Program
Destination: Italy
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health; Women’s Empowerment

The Global Scholars Program at Pacific University was developed with IDEAS grant funding as part of an emerging effort to internationalize the undergraduate curriculum and to expand and diversify study abroad for U.S. undergraduate students. The Global Scholars Program offers students majoring in any discipline a pathway to internationalize their education by completing core coursework designated as “International and Diverse Perspectives” courses and participating in study or internships abroad. This program culminates in an internationally focused senior capstone. IDEAS grant funding supported the development of the first phase of the Global Scholars Program, which included the creation of the Global Scholars First-Year Seminar, a core undergraduate course addressing diverse topics across a variety of disciplines while focusing on U.S. foreign policy goals, such as public health and women’s empowerment, and a Global Explorations faculty-led short-term travel course for first-year students to Italy.

Location: Mahwah, NJ
Program Title: Global Field Experiences
Destinations:  Argentina, Costa Rica, Ghana, Greece, India, Iceland
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Energy and Natural Resources; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management; Public Health; Women’s Empowerment

Through IDEAS grant funding, Ramapo College expanded upon its Global Field Experiences program, adding six programs in six different locations, with the goal of increasing the number of students studying abroad. This program hosts two-credit courses that included 7-10 days of overseas travel during winter or spring break in addition to structured assignments and activities before, during, and after the international component. This initiative was particularly focused on reaching students for whom longer study abroad options are cost-prohibitive and students in majors that have few opportunities to go abroad. Ramapo College hopes to encourage all such students to take part in a Global Field Experience with the expectation that this will give them the opportunity to gain global knowledge and encourage them to participate in longer-term study abroad programs during their college careers.

Location: Alpine, TX
Program Title: Lobos sin Fronteras
Destination: Mexico

Less than 0.1 percent of the undergraduate students at Sul Ross State University study abroad each year. To increase that number of students, particularly Hispanic students, Sul Ross created an affordable, faculty-led study abroad program within the core curriculum. Sul Ross used its IDEAS grant funds to establish core curriculum courses that embedded a study abroad component, vetted international study sites to host study abroad programs, and provided workshops for faculty and students that show the benefits of study abroad. Sul Ross worked to build faculty capacity to develop study abroad curricula through professional development and networking sessions designed to connect individuals with mutual interests and facilitate discussion of study abroad barriers and challenges.

Location: Temple, TX
Program Title: Guatemala Spanish Study Abroad
Destination: Guatemala

Temple College had never established a consistent global learning opportunity for its students. To address this, Temple College used its IDEAS grant to establish a virtual study abroad program for students studying Spanish to explore Guatemala, earn credit in intermediate Spanish, and participate in online volunteer opportunities. IDEAS grant activities specifically focus on supporting participation by racial/ethnic minority students, who are the majority of the Spanish language students and are part of the target student population for Temple’s study abroad program. Temple brought a study abroad experience to its classrooms through videos, presentations, and activities developed in partnership with partners in Guatemala.

Location: Columbia, Orangeburg, and Denmark, SC
Program Title: The Carolina Cluster’s Cultural and Career Pathways International Study Initiative
Destination: Liberia
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Closing the Skills Gap

Benedict College, Claflin University, and Voorhees College, three Historically Black Colleges and Universities, collaborated to form The Carolina Cluster. This partnership provided U.S. students with increased international experiences that were integrated into the schools’ curricula, with the goal of increasing their skills and marketability in the international economy. Using IDEAS grant funds, Cluster member institutions worked together to strengthen their study abroad offices, build new international partnerships in different locations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and provide professional development opportunities to increase faculty engagement in study abroad. The Cluster member institutions successfully launched a website for students and faculty interested in study abroad and are working to develop joint study abroad programs to benefit all of their students.

Location: Knoxville, TN
Program Title: Feed the 9.7 Billion: Preparing US Students to Meet the Greatest Global Challenge
Destination: Argentina
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Economic Development and Trade Policy; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture developed a new faculty-led course focused on food security in Argentina for students in underrepresented majors, in partnership with several Argentine higher education institutions and governmental and non-governmental agricultural organizations abroad. Argentina serves as an excellent living laboratory where students can be taught using experiential learning techniques to understand global food security, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, economic development, and trade policy, many issues that are also important to Tennessee and U.S. foreign policy.

Location: Bloomington, IN
Program Title: Expanding a Study Abroad Program to Africa for Rural Indiana Students to experience different cultures and learn about Public Health Issues in Africa
Destination: Ghana
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: Public Health

Indiana University’s School of Public Health and Hutton Honors College created a study abroad program for students to understand the interconnections between culture and health on the African continent. This program examined how Africans take care of their health and the cultural underpinnings of the methods they use to solve their health problems. The IDEAS grant funding allowed Indiana University to train more faculty, expand the faculty-led program from Ghana to four more African countries, and provide more U.S. students the opportunity to learn about different approaches to public health in African countries.

Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Program Title: Study Abroad Academic Advisors Fellows (SAAF) Program
Destination: South Africa
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:  Democracy and Human Rights; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama, in partnership with the Capstone International Center and colleges throughout the campus, diversified the population of students it sends abroad and the destinations where they study through the creation of a Study Abroad Academic Advisors Fellows program. This program develops academic advisors’ awareness, knowledge, and understanding of study abroad programs so they can better guide students to study abroad in programs across the world that match their academic and career goals. The project has a special emphasis on improving advising for student groups historically underrepresented in the University of Alabama’s study abroad programs, including first-generation college students, African American students, and Hispanic students. During its grant, the advisor cohort participated in several trainings on the value of study abroad and how it can be a tool to encourage student retention and success. The cohort also participated in an on-the-ground capacity training in South Africa, a destination where the University of Alabama also worked to develop programming related to foreign policy topics such as democracy and human rights, food security, sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management.

Location: Fayetteville, AR
Program Title: Global Changemakers: Approaching Social Innovation at Home and Abroad
Destinations: Denmark, Italy, Spain
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed:  Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

Through its IDEAS grant, the University of Arkansas developed the Global Changemakers initiative, which aims to increase the institution’s capacity to build high-impact study abroad programs linked to state economic development goals. The initial faculty team launched a study abroad program to the Catalonia region of Spain focused on food security, a topic of importance to both U.S. foreign policy and Arkansas’s state government. Through this program, U.S. undergraduates in the fields of agricultural economics, business management, engineering, and international studies participated in project-based learning activities with 16 local community partners in Arkansas and Spain, allowing them to compare approaches to food security in the two locations. The ultimate goal of the program was to create a model based on the initial Spain program that the University of Arkansas could use to expand its community partner networks and study abroad programs linked to state priorities, including food security, healthcare access, job skill development, sustainable housing, and public transportation.

Location: Athens, GA
Program Title:  Georgia Global Pathway Program
Foreign Policy Goal(s) Addressed: 
Energy and Natural Resources; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Food Security/Sustainable Agriculture/Natural Resource Management

The University of Georgia created the Georgia Global Pathway Program to increase and diversify U.S. undergraduate study abroad participation by providing early information on study abroad and its career impact to rising college freshmen and their families. The University of Georgia launched strategic partnerships in school districts with key feeder schools for its own university and the wider University System of Georgia to provide early study abroad information for students. Additionally, Georgia Global Pathway Program developed reusable written and video resources on study abroad for admitted students, training educators in its partner districts on the use of these resources, and integrating the resources into the University of Georgia’s larger college pathway programs for students. These efforts combined to create early advising and mentorship resources on the feasibility of study abroad for diverse students admitted to the University of Georgia and other schools in the University System of Georgia.

Location: River Forest, IL
Destination: Chile
Program Title: Creating a U.S. – Latin America Bridge Program to Benefit Undergraduate Business Majors at Dominican University

Dominican University created its first study abroad and bilateral exchange program in South America with Chilean university Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso. Dominican University, a Hispanic-serving institution,  saw that many of its students expressed an interest in study abroad but then did not pursue it. This new program aimed to address this discrepancy by targeting undergraduate business students interested in increasing their knowledge of the Latin American business environment, with the ultimate goal of preparing students for careers working with U.S. companies to engage and expand business activities in Latin America. During the first summer of program, 15 Dominican University students traveled to Chile and 22 Chilean students came to Dominican University on a reciprocal exchange. The program also included domestic student engagements with companies in the greater Chicago area doing business in Latin America.

Location: Glenville, WV
Destination: Italy, Japan, Panama, Peru
Program Title: Glenville State College Study Abroad

Prior to receiving its grant, Glenville State College had no study abroad programming and sent zero students abroad each year. The college used its grant to work with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Knowledge Exchange Institute to develop new programming and partnerships with four foreign universities. In addition, faculty fellows from the business, criminal justice, education, and land resources departments developed semester-long study abroad programs designed to be affordable to all students, including economically disadvantage Appalachian students. The college also conducted student outreach highlighting the new study abroad opportunities and the importance of global engagement. Within the first year of the grant, 14 Glenville State College students studied abroad in Panama (8), Italy (4), Japan (1), and Peru (1).

Location: Harrisonburg, VA
Destination: Tanzania
Program Title: Tanzania Field School: Place-Based Learning for Portable Skills

James Madison University (JMU) expanded its partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to develop new STEM-focused, project-based, experiential learning course modules focused on such topics as natural resources management, renewable energy, and water resources. While the program explicitly targeted female, first-generation, and minority students in engineering majors, it was open to all non-engineering majors with suitable STEM-backgrounds. JMU students took classes and workshops in the field, interned and conducted research for their capstone projects with non-governmental organizations, and received Swahili lessons. Ten JMU students participated in the first summer program.

Location: Montclair, NJ
Destination: Chile
Program Title: Devised Theatre Project of the Americas: U.S. and Chile

Montclair State University (MSU) used its grant to establish a collaborative theatre student exchange pilot program with Universidad Mayor (UM) in Santiago, Chile. The program engaged students in a year-long dialogue of live collaboration and creation, which culminated with 11 MSU students traveling to UM to present a newly devised work of theatre. MSU now plans to use this model of ongoing collaboration and bilateral exchange to develop programs in other disciplines with UM that will continue to target underrepresented student groups in study abroad.

Location: Atlanta, GA
Destination: Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Ghana
Program Title: Morehouse Pan African Global Experience II: Education and Public Health in the Diaspora

Morehouse College used its grant to expand its Morehouse Pan-African Global Experience (MPAGE) – a signature abroad program that supports a mission committed to Africa and the international African Diaspora – to support programs in Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, and Ghana. Components of MPAGE include curriculum development, education and civic engagement in Africa, faculty development and research, and student development and research. The program aims to increase the number of students at Morehouse, an all-male Historically Black College, completing their education with an experience abroad, as well as the knowledge and understanding of African heritage cultures and communities. It also seeks to strengthen language studies for research, fieldwork, civic engagement, and careers abroad. Sixty Morehouse students participated in programs in Brazil (19), Cuba (25), Ghana (25) during the grant period.  

Location: Raleigh, NC
Destination: Dominican Republic
Program Title: Capacity Building to Support Internship and Experiential Learning for the Underrepresented Minority Students in Agriculture between the Dominican Republic and North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University established a new study abroad program for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to the Dominican Republic. The short-term internship and service-learning program targeted students of Latin heritage, first-generation college students, and students from agricultural majors who do not typically participate in study abroad. In-country activities included interning for a month at key agriculture businesses while working alongside Dominican students to create a workshop focused on STEM and agriculture for local high school students in the Dominican Republic. Eleven students participated in the first year of the program.

Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Destination: India, Thailand
Program Title: Capacity Building Grants for University of Michigan

Through this grant, the University of Michigan created a Faculty Global Development Fellowship to build the pool of faculty qualified and committed to lead new study abroad programs in the field of nursing. Faculty members received training on internationalizing teaching and developing and leading study abroad programs for nursing students.  As a result, the university expanded its nursing study abroad programs to new locations in India and Thailand. During the first year, 12 nursing students studied abroad in Thailand and 16 in India.

Location: Gainesville, FL
Destination: Brazil
Program Title: Santa Fe College – Biotechnology Internship in Brazil

Santa Fe College collaborated with Universidade Esadual Paulista (UNESP) in Brazil to create a new study abroad program allowing U.S. biotechnology and laboratory science students to gain hands-on experience in an international research environment. During the first summer of the program, four Santa Fe College students applied their technical and laboratory skills in a series of UNESP-associated laboratories in Southeast Brazil.  Santa Fe’s biotechnology program trains graduates for employment in the local biotechnology industry that has formed around the University of Florida biotechnology incubator and the associated industrial park. By adding this study abroad program to its curricula, the community college aims to foster the intercultural competence of its biotechnology students, many of whom are low-income, rural, first-generation, and/or minority students.

Location: Davis, CA
Destination: Nepal
Program Title: UC Davis Capacity Building and Road-Mapping for Undergraduate Action Research and Seminars Abroad

University of California Davis (UC Davis) developed a pilot winter break program in Nepal targeting environmental science students. The grant supported three UC Davis faculty to travel to Nepal, develop partnerships with local universities and non-government organizations, and deliver guest lectures aimed at increasing Nepalese students’ interest in engaging with America. When the first cohort of UC Davis students traveled to Nepal for a three-week program, they were matched with a cohort of Nepalese students with whom they took classes and conducted research.  Based on this program, UC Davis formulated a road map that it will use to develop additional intersession programs, a new area of study abroad programming it hopes will appeal to diverse student groups.

Location: Lincoln, NE
Destination: Jordan
Program Title: Computer Science Across Cultures: Collaborative Algorithm Problem Solving

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) developed a new program in Amman, Jordan, for computer science and computer engineering students, a group that currently makes up one of the smallest proportions of study abroad participants at UNL. The grant also expanded students’ study abroad options in the Middle East, the region receiving the lowest number of study abroad students from UNL. The new program uses a unique blend of virtual team-based learning and on-site collaboration between U.S. and Jordanian students who develop and solve algorithm problems. The new international course fulfills basic degree requirements for computer science and computer engineering program, thus making it more accessible to STEM students who often do not study abroad because of strict degree requirements. Ten UNL students participated in the first year of the program.

Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Destination: Cuba
Program Title: Afro-Cuban Students in a New Era

Through its grant, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) partnered with Cuban education institutions and organizations to build a new study abroad program focused on exploring key issues of Afro-Cuban culture, history, health, education, and community. During the first iteration of the program, 10 students traveled with faculty members to multiple Cuban cities to meet with and conduct research with their local counterparts. This program leaned heavily on robust pre-departure preparation, including a new credit-granting course and several seminars in which faculty presented original research of relevance to the program. After the program, students presented their own original research developed while in Cuba. This new study abroad program will help continue the mission of WSSU, a Historically Black University, to connect its students with the African diaspora and prepare them for global careers.

Location: Thomasville, NC
Destination: Guatemala
Program Title: Building Capacity at Davidson County Community College: Study Abroad in Guatemala

Davidson County Community College created its first program in Guatemala to encourage nursing and early childhood education students to study in a non-traditional location. The college also focused on supporting qualified students to apply for the Gilman Program to increase the number of students going abroad. Within the first year of the grant,  the college designed and supported 16 students on a service-learning program in Guatemala,  established eight new global partnerships with Guatemalan organizations, provided mentorship to students on the Gilman Program application (leading to two students being awarded the Gilman Scholarship), and created a study abroad logo and promotional videos to recruit students.

Location: Des Moines, WA
Destination: China
Program Title: Expanding Capacity and Creating Study Abroad Opportunities for Underrepresented Students: A Community College Approach

Highline College (HC), in partnership with Tacoma Community College (TCC), implemented a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program to China with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). The project consisted of creating training materials for faculty on how to develop short-term study abroad programs as well as planning, marketing, and implementing the faculty-led study abroad program to China. HC was successful in sending eight students ranging in ages from 18-48 on the first trip to China, many of whom were from groups traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. By the end of the grant period, HC and TCC were actively seeking opportunities to continue working together, including a second study abroad trip to SJTU.

Location: Ames, IA
Destination: China
Program Title: Self-Sustainable Study Abroad Program for U.S. Engineering Students

Iowa State University (ISU) designed an engineering-specific semester-long study abroad program with Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in China. The program provided ISU’s engineering students the opportunity to study abroad while take engineering, language, and culture classes. This coursework met requirements of the ISU College of Engineering curriculum, making study abroad more accessible to engineering students who often did not study abroad due to strict degree requirements. The first group of U.S. undergraduate students from ISU participating in the exchange traveled to China in spring 2017.

Location: Jackson, MS
Destination: Argentina, Botswana, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand
Project Title: Jackson State University Passport to the World

Jackson State University expanded its Passport to the World program, a short-term, faculty-led, study abroad experience including programs from a variety of academic departments. The university expanded two of its global partnerships and formed a new partnership with a U.S. exchange organization that helped JSU strengthen its programming. JSU supported 47 of its undergraduate students to study abroad in new destinations in Argentina, Botswana, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand during its grant period.

Location: Lincoln, PA
Project Title: Broadening Study Abroad Participation in STEM Fields

Lincoln University successfully achieved its IDEAS Grant project goal of creating the Lions in Ghana Fellowship. This fellowship, created in collaboration with Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College in Pennslyvania and the University of Development Studies in Ghana, connected Lincoln students with intercultural internship opportunities in Ghana. IDEAS Grant funds were used to develop an in-person fellowship model and pilot a virtual program, allowing the university to continue to safely provide global engagement experiences for students during the pandemic.

Location: Bedford, MA
Destination: Morocco
Project Title: The Morocco Experience: International Business Fellowship

Middlesex Community College (MCC) used its grant to establish a new short-term study abroad program in Morocco. During the grant’s implementation, 20 MCC students participated in the first program to Morocco, which focused on business, economics, and entrepreneurship. MCC has continued to apply lessons learned from creating its Morocco program to the establishment of additional short-term programs.

Location: Murray, KY
Destination: England, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden
Program Title: Education Abroad Fellows

Murray State University (MSU) used its grant to help globalize curriculum and develop partnerships through its Jones College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, with the goal of increasing STEM student participation in study abroad. With the help of its grant, MSU created three new partnerships with institutions in Sweden, the Netherlands, and England and strengthened institutional partnerships in Hungary, Germany, and Spain.

Location: Green Bay, WI
Destination: Belize, China, Ireland, Spain
Project Title: NWTC Study Abroad Capacity Building Program

Northwest Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) expanded five of its current study abroad programs and created three new programs, with the goal of establishing programs that would appeal to more diverse student groups. NWTC developed faculty-led programs to Belize focused on early childhood education and health and sustainability, and it expanded programming in China, Ireland, and Spain. In the first year of its grant, NWTC sent 15 of its students to new programming in Belize and 15 students to new programming in Spain.

Location: Claremont, CA
Destination: Brazil, Vietnam
Project Title: The Global/Local Portuguese and Vietnamese Project and the Integrative, Community-Engaged Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL) Learning Program

Pitzer College enhanced its in‐house study abroad programming by creating two new summer study abroad programs in Brazil and Vietnam. Students in both programs studied less commonly taught languages, Vietnamese and Portuguese, for six weeks in country. These study abroad programs were well integrated into the home curriculum, having been preceded and followed by intensive language study at home.

Location: West Lafayette, IN
Destinations: China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
Project Title: Diversifying and Scaling Purdue Engineering Study Abroad in East Asia

Purdue University used its grant to diversify its study abroad location offerings and build new short-term study abroad programs in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, realizing three‐year goals in just one-and-a-half years. Female engineering students studying abroad at Purdue increased from 10 percent to 29 percent, minority-engineering participants increased by 10 percent, and ROTC cadets participated for the first time in the short‐term study abroad programs in Japan and China. Finally, Purdue created sustainable changes in its campus climate by investing in key academic staff. In total, 85 students participated in study abroad programs supported by the grant during its implementation. 

Location: Shepardstown, WV
Destination: Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Scotland
Project Title: From Bare-Bones to Best Practices

Shepherd University previously had no study abroad programming and used its grant to hire a full‐time study abroad director, create its first study abroad office, and establish formal partnerships with universities in Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, and Scotland. Grant activities supported five faculty-led trips to Europe, Cuba, and Mexico for more than 100 students, including 18 low-income students. Academic disciplines represented in the study abroad programs ranged from Appalachian studies to computer engineering to health and exercise science. With just one year of grant funding, Shepherd University was able to establish a financially successful, sustainable study abroad office that continues to offer programming even after the grant ended.

Location: St. Louis, MO
Destination: Cuba, China, Finland, India, Mexico, Scotland
Project Title: Proposal to Increase Pharmacy Student Involvement in Study Abroad Programs

St. Louis College of Pharmacy developed 10 new study abroad programs and 11 new study abroad destinations including China, Cuba, Finland India, Mexico, and Scotland. In addition, they hired full-time staff dedicated to marketing study abroad opportunities to students. This marketing effort increased the number of students participating in international learning and improved communications to alumni and external stakeholders, which resulted in raising $20,000 to support student scholarships and grant writing activities. The college sent 94 students abroad on programs supported by the grant during its implementation.

Location: Cobleskill, NY
Destination: Mexico
Project Title: Collaborative Online International Learning and Study Abroad Graphic Design (and Agricultural Business) in Mexico

SUNY Cobleskill embedded a study abroad component into existing course curricula to make study abroad more accessible to its students, many of whom study for technical degrees that make studying abroad difficult. The university particularly focused on increasing study abroad among students majoring in graphic design and agricultural business. In January 2018, ten students traveled to Mexico on the first study abroad program supported through the grant.

Location: Denton, TX
Destination: China, Italy, Ireland
Project Title: Eagles Abroad: A Flight Path for Expanding Study Abroad Access

University of North Texas worked with existing partner universities in China and Ireland to establish faculty-led study abroad programs. The program in Ireland focused on economics and biology, and the program in China focused on math (for pre‐business students) and kinesiology/sociology. The university also developed a new partnership with Santa Reparata International School of Arts in Italy.

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Destination: Ching, Cuba, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Netherlands
Project Title: Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) International Field Placement Program

The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work (SSW) designed new International Field Placements (IFP) embedded in the coursework for a Bachelor of Arts Social Work. Previously, students from SSW who studied abroad did so at the expense of delaying graduation and added expense. During the grant period, SSW identified faculty and locations for programming, conducted exploratory visits to potential study abroad sites, and designed pilot programs. Overall, SSW created six new study abroad programs in China, Cuba, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, and the Netherlands.

Location: Blacksburg, VA
Destination: Botswana, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania
Project Title: The Study Abroad Expansion Project

Virginia Techlaunched“Inclusive VT”, an initiative to create a more inclusive environment for underrepresented populations in international exchange. Through its grant, Virginian Tech engaged with nine overseas partners, creating new partnerships in South Africa and Ghana and strengthening current ones in Senegal, Botswana, and Tanzania. Virginia Tech’s study abroad programs in Africa focused on agriculture and life sciences, natural resources and the environment, and liberal arts and human sciences. Virginia Tech sent 21 students to study abroad in Ghana and South Africa through programs supported by the grant in its first year. Virginia Tech also developed a financial model to support students from its African partner institutions to study at Virginia Tech at a discounted price to help create a more equal bilateral student exchange program.

Location: Honolulu, HI
Destination: New Zealand, United Kingdom
Project Title: Foothold Abroad Initiative

Prior to its grant,Windward Community College’s (WCC) offered no study abroad programming and few of its students were able to study abroad on outside programs. Using its grant, WCC created a study abroad center, launched its first institutionally run study abroad programs to New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and succeeded in internationalizing a campus that was traditionally focused on domestic and local issues. During the grant period, 30 WCC students studied abroad on the new programs to New Zealand and the United Kingdom. These students included a large percentage of Native Hawaiian and Pell‐eligible students, target groups for WCC as a Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution.

Location: Worcester, MA
Destination: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama
Project Title: Expanding Opportunities for Project-Based Learning in Latin America

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) built relationships with 32 overseas partners in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama, adding all of them as new partners to their Global Projects Program, which is designed to offer STEM students project-based learning experiences abroad. WPI succeeded in sending 140 students to study abroad on programs supported by the grant during its implementation, including 48 to Costa Rica, 28 to Panama, and 48 to Ecuador. Roughly one‐third of the students who participated in programs supported by the grant were women in STEM, a target group for WPI.