The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce the 24 U.S. colleges and universities awarded 2020 IDEAS Grants (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students Grants) under its Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad. With the support of the IDEAS Grants, these institutions will support the goals of U.S. foreign policy by developing and expanding their study abroad programming around the world.
Congratulations to the following colleges and universities on their 2020 IDEAS Grants.
- Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio
- Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, Colorado
- Community College District 502 – College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
- Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
- Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
- Lincoln University, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania Massasoit
- Community College, Brockton, Massachusetts
- Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena, Mississippi
- Montana State University Billings, Billings, Montana
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
- Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills, Michigan
- Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio Texas
- Woman's University, Denton, Texas
- The University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, Tennessee
- Towson University, Towson, Maryland
- Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, Texas
- University of Wisconsin – Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin
- Utica College, Utica, New York
- Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts
Panels of U.S. higher education representatives recommended these institutions for funding from a pool of 115 proposals. The winning institutions come from 18 states and Puerto Rico and represent the full diversity of the American higher education system, including five community colleges and eight Minority Serving Institutions. Over the next year, these U.S. colleges and universities will receive funding and programmatic support to help build and strengthen their capacity to send more American students overseas to more diverse destinations for years to come.
“We are committed to continuing our support for U.S. colleges and universities as they build their study abroad capacity now, in anticipation of a strong return to U.S. student mobility in the future… When American students study abroad, they support critical U.S. foreign policy goals by building relationships with foreign peers, sharing American culture and values, and developing valuable career skills. With these international experiences, the next generation of Americans is being equipped with the skills necessary to compete and succeed globally.” said Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad seeks to increase the capacity of accredited U.S. colleges and universities to create, expand, and diversify study abroad programs for U.S. students. In addition to the IDEAS Grant competition, the program also offers opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in a series of free virtual and in-person study abroad capacity building activities. For more information, including details on a free IDEAS webinar series on building study abroad resources for U.S. campuses, please visit the Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad website at www.studyabroadcapacitybuilding.org. Additional information on U.S. government resources to support study abroad can also be found at studyabroad.state.gov.
The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.
